


What Happens When Things Are Left To A Bunch Of Children

by CaptnSlash



Series: I Forget To Breathe When You Look At Me Like I'm The Center Of Your Universe [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Beta Scott McCall, Canon Divergence, M/M, Nice Jackson, Potential Mates, Rewrite of 3A, Stiles Tells His Father, Werewolf Jackson Whittemore, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-22 17:31:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14313669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: Stiles is abducted by the alpha pack and they give him the bite in order to set their nefarious plans into motion. He's deposited in a cell where Jackson is also being held and they work together to escape. With the looming threat getting closer to home, Derek and his betas must join forces with Scott and his friends in order to keep everyone safe.





	1. The End of Everything He's Always Known

**Author's Note:**

> I can't stop listening to "Kiss The Boy" by Keiynan Lonsdale and it inspired me to write this fic.

Stiles Stilinski’s entire body ached as he began to stir back to consciousness. His memories were jumbled and he was confused about where he was and what had happened to him. The blurry vision and vertigo caused him to fall to the cold concrete floor as soon as he tried to stand. He remembered driving toward Scott’s house to have an evening of hanging out and video games. He remembered texting his dad to let him know he’d probably be staying over because it had been almost a month since they’d had time to just relax and be normal teenagers. The memory of the dilapidated VW bus crashing into the side of Roscoe and forcing him off the road into a ditch surfaced at the same moment he realized his wrists were connected to metal rings embedded in the wall.

They were tied with some kind of durable cord and he knew it would be futile to try to pull himself free. He slid on the floor so that he could sit with his back against the wall. His eyes grew heavy as unconsciousness regained control.  


  


* * *

  


  
“Wake up,” a gruff voice ordered. Stiles felt a sting to his face as someone slapped him. His eyes opened and his vision adjusted to the three figures in the room with him. He spotted the only exit, a large iron door that he suspected was bolted from the outside by another member of the group, and he knew he’d never make it since he was still restrained. 

“Well, this is awkward,” he said.

A man sitting in a chair on the other side of the room smirked. A white folding cane was nestled between both of his hands and it was only then that Stiles realized the dark glasses weren’t just for show. The man either had to be blind or trying to make Stiles think he was for some unknown purpose. “Listen to his bravado. I think your selection was the perfect choice, Kali.”

The woman that had slapped him had walked over to the man and put a hand on his shoulder. She glared at Stiles as though she was the superior species and he was a child’s plaything that someone had abandoned in her path. The way she looked at him made Stiles want to scream, but he knew that no one would hear him. They would have planned for that. 

“How long have I been here?” He asked.

“You’ve been here for a few days. My name is Deucalion and I am so happy that you have become our newest guest. The last one has started to overstay his welcome.”

Stiles stared at the third person that stood close to the door, his arms folded in front of his chest. He looked ambivalent about the entire situation and seemed to be there only in case Stiles somehow managed to escape. They all knew the chances of that happening were non-existent and yet he was still there. Stiles’ mind was desperately trying to work out why the guy needed to be there as if there was a puzzle piece that didn’t fit and he was the only one that seemed to notice.

“Look at him. He’s actually trying to think of a way out,” Kali noted. “I like it so much better when there’s screaming.”

“Yes, I know you do, my dear, but I think Mr. Stilinski is going to exceed all of our expectations.”

“They’ll find me,” Stiles promised them. “They’ll kill you all.”

Deucalion actually laughed. “No, I don’t think they will, pet. Not if everything goes according to plan. Ennis, do what you do best and then stick him in the cell with our other guest. He shouldn’t be alone the first few days. I’m afraid this is where we leave you, Mr. Stilinski. We’ll see you again very soon.”

The large guy knocked a couple of times on the iron door and three latches were unlocked from the outside before it opened enough to allow Kali to lead Deucalion outside. She gave one last look in Stiles’ general direction before the door closed and the latches were secured once again. Stiles looked up at Ennis as he moved closer. 

“How about a game of cards? I’m pretty good at rummy.”

Ennis grunted in the most ambivalent way possible. Stiles would have thought he came straight out of a comic book if not for the way he lifted Stiles up by the shoulders and raised his shirt in a way that was a little too sexual for his liking. “Hey. Bad touch! Keep your claws to yourself.”

“Fine,” Ennis replied. “I’ll just use my teeth.”

That was the moment Stiles made the connection. He understood what was about to happen and his entire body froze from the shock of it. He’d never wanted to become a werewolf and now that was what was about to happen, assuming he even survived the bite in the first place. Knowing his luck, the chances weren’t very good that he’d make it through the night. 

Ennis’ eyes flashed red as he kneeled down. Stiles clenched his teeth together to keep from screaming. His back was already against the wall and he knew there was nowhere to go. He didn’t want to give the creeps the satisfaction of knowing they were screwing up the life he had planned for himself.

When Ennis backed away, blood was dripping out of his mouth. Stiles felt his legs go numb and he collapsed to the floor, his arm twisting in an uncomfortable position in the process. Ennis swiped at the cords restraining him to the wall and they were severed by his claws. His hand reached for Stiles’ closest wrist and he dragged him over to the door as pain radiated throughout his entire body. Ennis knocked three times on the door and it swung open. 

A pair of identical faces looked down to stare at him curiously as he was being moved and Stiles recognized them as the new students at the school.

“Tell Deucalion it’s finished. I’ll be there shortly.”

The teens walked off in the other direction. Ennis dragged Stiles for what seemed like an eternity, but it was only a handful of minutes to another cell on the other side of the abandoned building. He unlatched the door and tossed Stiles inside without any consideration for how he’d land. Stiles collided with a couple of jugs of water and landed on a couple of old plastic planters that cracked underneath his weight. He let out some kind of combination between a moan and a whimper.

That was when he noticed the cool blue eyes staring at him from the corner. “Great. They crash into Roscoe and leave her in a ditch, abduct me against my will, let some creepy guy grope my tight flesh before he sinks his teeth into me, and then they shove me into a cell with a werewolf that’s probably going to eat me the first chance he gets. How is this my life?”

“Stilinski?” The voice asked. It was shaky and a little unsure, but Stiles still recognized who it belonged to. It hadn’t been that long since he’d last heard it.

“Jackson?”

The blue eyes disappeared into the darkness of the room as a shadow moved closer. He heard something being cranked before a camping lantern illuminated the room with enough light for them to see each other. Jackson’s surprise at seeing that he was no longer alone faded when he saw Stiles’ ripped shirt and the large bite marks in his flesh. He kneeled next to Stiles. “Damn. They bit you.”

Stiles nodded. “It isn’t all bad. I’m hoping it kills me pretty quickly.”

Jackson shook his head. “You’re already starting to heal, Stiles. The bite took.”

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered. His body was shaking from a combination of pain and adrenaline, and the room they were in was a little too cold for his liking. Jackson lifted him up and allowed Stiles’ weight to rest on his shoulder as he carried him back to the oversized mattress he had been sleeping on. 

“It’s not much, but it’s more comfortable than the floor.”

“Thanks. How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know,” Jackson admitted. “They grabbed me at the airport after my parents dropped me off. They keep rubbing in the fact that no one knows I’m missing because Deucalion called the school in London and pretended to be my father so that he could cancel my enrollment. They tried to get information from me and I held out for a while, but I eventually told them everything. About Scott and Derek. Everything.”

Stiles thought back to one of the conversations he heard Lydia having with Allison over lunch a few weeks earlier. “You were supposed to start school on the 7th. That was a month ago.”

Jackson’s eyes flashed blue from anger as his fist connected with the concrete wall. A large chunk broke off of the wall and fell to the floor before separating into a couple of smaller clumps. “Damn it! I’m never gonna get out of this place.”

Stiles knew the situation was grim. “We’ll both get out of here. You’re forgetting that I’m gonna turn into a pretty badass werewolf. We’re gonna be able to take out all of those alphas like it’s nothing.”

Jackson stared at him. “I think you’re dramatically overstating your abilities. I might be able to take one of them for a few minutes. You wouldn’t last sixty seconds before you tripped over your own feet.”

Stiles scoffed. “I’ll have you know that my balance has gotten a lot better these last few weeks. I think it’s the new multivitamin my dad has been giving me every morning. Either way, we’ll get through this. Scott will notice I’m missing once he realizes he has no one to talk to and then he’ll come for me.”

The corners of Jackson’s mouth tilted up slightly. “I’m surprised you don’t want to stay here to get away from him.”

Stiles was about to respond when the ringing in his ears started to become painful. The sound of Jackson’s breathing had become almost deafening and the beat of his heart was like someone pounding a large drum. Jackson looked at him and remembered his own transformation after Derek had given him the bite. 

“It’s going to be okay, Stiles. Just concentrate on your breathing. It’ll pass in a few minutes and it shouldn’t be long before the fatigue kicks in.”

Stiles looked over at him as the ringing stopped and his hearing evened out to the levels he was accustomed to. He wouldn’t have picked Jackson to be with him when he was going through something as serious as this, but he was glad he wasn’t alone. He and Jackson weren’t friends, but they weren’t enemies either. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Jackson asked.

“For being here. I mean, I know you don’t have a choice, but I’m glad I’m not alone.”

Jackson shrugged. “It’s better than running lacrosse drills when Coach is in a bad mood.”

“Or listening to Scott whine about Allison and his broken heart.”

They both shared a laugh before the ringing came back stronger than before and he doubled over from the pain.


	2. We Have Better Things To Do Than Wither Away In A Place Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson find a potential ally as they figure out a way to reach out for help.

Stiles bolted upright and he locked eyes with Jackson, the only other person in the room. Stiles’ eyes burned with intensity for a moment as yellow began to seep into his irises. His breathing was heavy and he was in the throes of his first beta transformation. His nostrils flared as he picked up on Jackson’s scent.

“You’re alright, Stiles. You’re here with me in the cell. I think the alphas left a while ago. I can usually hear the vibration of their vehicles bouncing off of the metal building.”

Stiles’ breath slowed and his eyes focused on his hands and the claws that had replaced his fingernails. “I’m…I’m a werewolf.”

“Yeah. They bit you. Remember?”

He nodded slowly as it all came rushing back. He began to focus and control his breathing. It wasn’t long before the shift subsided and he regained control. The claws and the glowing eyes were gone as he walked back to the mattress and collapsed onto it. “Sorry. I think I was dreaming about the alpha biting me and I freaked out.”

“It’s okay. At least you’re not turning into a kanima.”

Stiles hoped to God he could avoid that kind of stress in his life. “Yeah, I’m not really into the whole master/submissive dynamic.” He could feel that he was on edge and his hands kept balling into fists like he was preparing to punch something or someone. “You might have to fight me if I try to hurt you.”

Jackson stared at him for a moment. “I doubt that will happen.”

“I saw Scott and Isaac after they were first turned. They were all instinct and it’s no secret that you and I have a complicated history. If you have to hit me or claw my eyes out or whatever…just know I’ll understand and I won’t hold it against you.”

Jackson leaned against one of the walls a medium distance away so that Stiles wouldn’t feel threatened by his presence. “I can help you out if you want. I mean, I’m sure you know more about all of this than I do, but Derek gave me a talk before I was supposed to fly to London.”

“We have more important things to worry about,” Stiles said. He was uncomfortable with Jackson being nice to him. It was a huge contrast to the snide comments and jerk behaviors that Jackson had exhibited for most of his life. “We need to escape. The sooner the better.”

Jackson didn’t disagree. “This place seems locked up pretty tight.”

“We don’t have a lot of time, Jackson.”

“Why?” Jackson asked.

“Because the full moon is in two days and I’m afraid I might kill you. I think that’s why they put us together. They want us to fight to see which of us survives.”

Jackson let out a low growl in frustration. “We’re not going to hurt each other, Stiles, but it isn’t like the two of us can take on the five of them by ourselves.”

Stiles rested the back of his head against the firm wall. It was uncomfortable and a little too cold, but it wasn’t bad enough to cause him to move. He lifted up the shirt and looked down at the wound on the side of his waist. “At least it stopped bleeding.”

Jackson walked over to the camping lantern and rotated the crank a dozen times to give them more light. “You want some water? They usually bring in a new jug every morning. Feeding time is at night every other day. They like to keep me weak so I can’t fight back.”

Stiles looked around the cell. His eyes focused on the door and he stood up and stepped over to it. He pressed his palms flat against the iron and pushed with all of his strength. The door began to give as his frustration grew and his werewolf strength added extra force. “Come over here and help me with this.”

Jackson followed Stiles’ instructions and he stood next to him. He placed his own hands on the door and pushed with everything he had. Stiles’ thoughts were focused on getting out and seeing his father again. Of warning Scott and making sure that the alphas payed for what they had done. He was so overcome by rage that he pushed with everything he had.

Two of the three metal bars snapped but the third remained firm. “Wanna try again?” Jackson asked after they took a second to regroup.

Stiles nodded. “One…two…three.”

They pushed with everything they had left. The door swung open and collided against the wall with so much force that it left an indentation in the concrete. Stiles and Jackson were unprepared and fell out onto the floor, their arms tangled up together as they started rolling toward a couple of wooden crates that had been left there. Jackson was the first to get up and he held a hand out to help Stiles.

Once they were both on their feet, Jackson started using his werewolf senses. “I think we’re alone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they left traps. We should be careful.”

Stiles agreed. “Are you sure the twins aren’t lurking?”

“I can’t smell them if they are. Let’s try this way.”

Jackson led them down a hallway that Stiles barely remembered being dragged through. They turned to the right and they came upon a large room with numerous windows. Jackson selected one and managed to knock it out of the frame and it fell to the ground outside, the glass fracturing as soon as it met the resistance of the firm soil. Jackson stepped through first and he leapt down to the ground. “Hurry,” he called up.

Stiles followed him down and landed with more grace than he’d ever possessed in his life up to that point. He followed Jackson after the former kanima picked a direction and they took off in a run. They were stopped by a mountain ash barrier almost half a mile from the building. Jackson pressed against it and it rippled with energy as it resisted his attempt to pass. 

“We’re screwed,” Jackson complained. “There’s no way we can get through it on our own.”

Stiles looked at it and focused his mind. He pushed at it like he had done a few times before but the ash no longer responded to him. As a werewolf, he was now at the mercy of its power instead of the other way around. “They must have someone helping them. Maybe even an emissary.”

“We can dig underneath. Maybe it will be enough to disrupt the ring.” Jackson kneeled and dug his hands into the soil with the aid of his claws. After he was a few inches in, he pulled up quickly which resulted in dirt flying through the air. The thick line of ash was weakened, but Jackson couldn’t get close enough to fully break it. “Damn it!” 

“Boys.”

Stiles and Jackson turned to find a familiar face approaching them. Stiles was immediately suspicious and he instinctively stepped between her and Jackson without thinking that Jackson was the more experienced werewolf. All that mattered in that second was protecting the guy that had stood in the way of his relationship with Lydia. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you, Stiles. I was on the upper floor of the building when I heard you both escape from the room that you were being kept in. Deucalion didn’t tell me that he was planning to go after either you. If he had, I would have made sure to get a message to my brother.”

“Who is she?” Jackson asked. “She looks familiar.”

“I’m Marin Morrell. I’m the guidance counselor at your school. I’m also emissary to the alpha pack.”

“You did this?” Stiles was pointing to the ring of mountain ash as he asked the question. “You helped them?”

“I have a responsibility to maintain balance in all things. I warned Alan that leaving all of this for kids to deal with was a mistake, but he was under the deluded impression that Scott and Derek needed a common enemy to unite them.” She paused and accepted that she held some responsibility even though she had tried to warn them. “I think it would be best for you to leave before I call and let them know you’ve escaped.”

“You’re just going to let us go?” Jackson asked. 

“Of course. What you don’t know is that I’ve been secretly providing Alan with information about the alpha pack for months. I was the one who alerted him when they set their sights on Beacon Hills in the first place. I was sent ahead to secure a cover profession and scout the area.”

“So this is all your fault,” Stiles said, anger growing inside of him to the point where he could feel heat rising in his chest.

“No, I can’t control the actions of others anymore than you can. The true blame lies with the alphas. There’s a road about a mile ahead. Go right and you’ll find a supermarket a short distance away. You can call for help and you should be safe there while you wait.”

She walked over to the ash and waved a segment of it away. She kicked up the dirt around it to make it look like Jackson’s plan of disrupting the dirt had succeeded in breaking the line of ash. “Tell Alan that they’re suspicious of me. They’re withholding information and it might mean that they suspect I’ve been making contact with him. I’ll reach out if I need to flee the city.”

“We’ll tell him,” Stiles said. “Thanks for letting us go.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Stiles and Jackson took off into a full run toward the road that she told them about. The ground was pretty even and clear of debris that could have slowed them down. They soon came upon an industrial neighborhood of abandoned warehouses and storage for unused shipping containers before they located the road. Traffic was light and Stiles had to ignore the fear that the alphas would spot them on their way back after receiving Ms. Morrell’s phone call. 

They followed her directions and arrived at the supermarket after sprinting for five minutes. It looked run down due to the neighborhood it was in, but Stiles was smiling as they walked inside.

“Why are you so happy?” Jackson questioned.

“You remember how hard it was for me to run during practice without throwing up or collapsing on the ground? We just ran for twenty-five minutes and I didn’t even have to stop.”

Jackson kept a calm demeanor as they approached the service desk. The clerk looked up and eyed both of them suspiciously. “Can I help you?” 

Stiles nodded to the man. “Yes, can you please let us use a phone. It’s an emergency and I need to call my father in Beacon Hills. He’s the sheriff and I know he’ll appreciate you helping us out. We were stranded here by…”

The clerk rolled his eyes and produced a phone from behind the counter. “Whatever. Just make it quick.”

Stiles bit down on his tongue to avoid saying something that he would regret. He picked up the receiver and dialed the long distance number. The truth was that he wanted to call his father, but the man knew nothing about werewolves or the supernatural trials and tribulations that his son and his son’s friends had been through for the last year. Instead, he dialed someone that he knew would answer.

“What?” The gruff voice asked after picking up the phone.

Stiles held back a smile at Derek’s impatience. “Derek, it’s me. Jackson and I really need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know their escape was kind of sudden, but I needed them back with the others in Beacon Hills to keep the story moving along. A lot of my stories feature bonding inside a cell as a precursor to a relationship and I wanted things to happen differently in this one. Jackson is going to be a little different from how he's perceived on the show. I hope it won't turn too many of you off of the story and what I'm trying to do.
> 
> Leave songs in the comments that remind you of Stackson. I need some new music to listen to!


	3. Be Wary Of Cougars Groping Cucumbers In The Produce Section

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I'll be uploading tonight. I hope you're enjoying the story.

They were hiding in the produce section when Derek finally walked into the store. He spotted them almost immediately and Stiles breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Thank God you’re here. That cougar over there keeps groping the cucumbers and undressing us with her eyes. Her freaking pheromones reek and I can smell them all the way over here. I’m already on edge and—”

Derek did a double take as he eyed Stiles. “What did you just say?”

Cutting to the chase, Jackson lifted up Stiles’ shirt so that Derek could see the bite mark. “The alphas gave him the bite. They locked us in a cell together and and we managed to break down the door and escape here to the middle of freakin’ nowhere.”

Stiles batted at Jackson’s hand and lowered his shirt when he realized the forty-something woman was salivating at the idea of Jackson showing off Stiles’ chest to an equally attractive Derek Hale. “Can we please get out of here? I want to go home and take a shower.”

“I parked outside. I wish I knew about the bite before I invited backup.”

Stiles and Jackson followed Derek outside of the store. Derek’s Camaro was parked in the fire lane and Chris Argent’s SVU was right behind it. Stiles looked at Derek out of worry that he had lost his mind. “You called Chris Argent for backup? How do you even have Chris Argent’s number?”

“I am in the phone book,” Chris replied. He took one look at Stiles and knew something had changed. He’d come across a lot of newly turned werewolves in his time as a hunter and recognized the signs. Derek herded the teenagers into his car before he turned to Chris. “Thanks for the help. I doubt they’ll try anything before I get them home.”

Chris nodded his head. “I’m going to follow you back to town anyway, just to be safe. We’re going to have a conversation about all of this very soon.”

“Sure. If you want.”

Stiles was in the back seat and Jackson was in the more comfortable passenger seat by the time Derek returned to the car. Derek looked at the two of them before starting the vehicle and heading toward Beacon Hills.

“I can’t believe you called that guy.”

“I had to have help in case the alpha pack had caught up to you. Right or wrong, Chris Argent knows how to take on werewolves and I figured it was better to get both of you home alive.”

“How can you even trust him?” Stiles asked. “After what happened with Allison’s mom…”

Derek sighed at the unfortunate memory. “I explained all that. He knows I only bit his wife to save Scott’s life. He and Allison aren’t happy about that fact, but they understand that Scott didn’t deserve to die. They may be dangerous but having them on our side can be useful considering what we’re facing.”

Stiles knew Scott and Derek’s betas were all in school and it would look weird for them to all sneak out at the same time, but he would have liked to have his best friend by his side right now. “Okay, it your was your decision and it hasn’t bit us in the ass yet, so I’ll go with it.”

“Thank you,” Derek said as he pulled the car onto the highway and accelerated speed. “You two need to tell me everything that happened from the beginning. Then I’m gong to take both of you home and I’m going to call Stiles’ dad and tell him I found his missing son.”

“Just tell him I got a concussion from the car accident and I was wandering aimlessly until you almost ran me over. It’s believable.”

“It would be more believable if he actually ran you over,” Jackson noted.

Derek grunted his approval and Stiles scowled. “You are talking to the person that saved your life, not once but twice, jackass.”

“You wish.”

“Children, stop fighting or I _will_ push you from this vehicle while moving at a high rate of speed,” Derek warned. 

“I think I have to tell my dad everything,” Stiles said suddenly. It was a whim of a thought but it felt like it was time that he know about everything going on in Beacon Hills. For better or worse, his son was now a werewolf and he needed to know how to protect himself in case Stiles lost control and tried to hurt him.

The truth was that Stiles was now a walking weapon and he thought his father needed to know how to put him down if it came to that.

“That’s your decision,” Derek said. “But for what it’s worth, I think he should know. It might make his job easier to see what he’s been missing all these years.”

“I guess. How’s Roscoe?”

“It’s banged up pretty good. Your dad had it towed to your house. There was blood on the interior, but he keeps telling everyone that you’re alive and that you’re going to find your way home.”

Stiles wanted a shower, but more than anything he wanted his dad to tell him that everything was going to be alright. “Okay, here’s the plan. We go home and shower. I call my dad and get him to come home where I tell him the truth about werewolves and the fact that his son is now a member of the glowing eyes club. I’ll convince him to tell Jackson’s parents that sex traffickers abducted us and we managed to escape before they left town. We’ve been trying to get back home for the last two days.”

Jackson seemed impressed by the cover story. “My parents might actually believe that. And it might actually fill them with enough guilt to keep them from automatically throwing me on a plane to London.”

“It’s a natural gift,” Stiles boasted.

“I would argue the opposite, but I’ll shut up since this epic lie might actually benefit me in some way.”

Derek shook his head in disbelief. “You two are like opposite sides of the same coin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek is kind of like that older brother that has nothing in common with his younger siblings, but he still loves them and he'd do anything for them. This chapter was a little short. The next one should be longer.


	4. Let's Hang Out Like Bros Do And Plot The Downfall Of Human Civilization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter. This one is pretty much Scott/Stiles, but there are some bits where Stiles breaks the truth to his father. John will forever be his name in my eyes, in case you cared about my opinion. :D

“What the hell do you mean when you say you’re a werewolf? Is this like that time you told me about furries? Is ‘werewolf’ code for something?” John Stilinski’s right hand was on his hip and Stiles couldn’t help but notice how close his gun was to said hand.

Stiles wished he’d asked Derek to stick around to help explain all of this to his father. Of course, it wasn’t like the guy had offered to serve as a visual aid during this talk. No, he left that up to Stiles to deal with and, of course, his father wouldn’t just accept his son’s words without having to bring up sexual fetishes amid his disbelef. 

Scott had told him once that he could tell that Stiles and his father were related and, even after all these years, Stiles was no closer to figuring out if that was a backhanded insult or a compliment. “No, ‘werewolf' isn’t code for something. We’re not talking about furries or anything at all related to freaky sex fetishes. Sit down and I’ll just start at the beginning.”

John sat down and he listened patiently as Stiles explained where everything started: the night he and Scott went looking for what turned out to be Laura Hale’s body in the preserve. He covered Scott getting bit and that led him to the Hales and the fact that Peter lost his marbles and went on a killing spree which included his niece and almost included the sheriff’s very own inquisitive son. He segued to the Argents and what hunters were, how Victoria Argent really died and the way Allison had kind of lost herself under her grandfather’s influence. That got them to Jackson as the kanima and then Jackson as the redeemed werewolf, Derek’s new pack, and the alphas that had recently come to town.

“So, they abducted me to distract Scott and isolate him and Derek from coming together to solve this issue. One of them gave me the bite and then shoved me in a cell with Jackson who we all thought was had been in London all this time. We put our heads together and managed to break out of the cell and Deaton’s sister, Ms. Morrell, gave us a head start since she’s some kind of double agent. Jackson and I made it to the store and Derek and Chris Argent came to pick us up and made sure we got home safely.”

“Is that all?”

“I think so. We’re all going to meet up later and figure out a plan. Also, Lydia is immune to the bite and we’re still trying to figure out what that means. Oh, I’m probably going to have to be away from home the nights of the next few full moons so that Scott can chain me up until I can learn to control myself. Just as a precaution.”

John Stilinki’s arms were crossed in front of his chest at this point. “I can’t believe you would make up such an elaborate story to get out of explaining to me where you’ve been the last three days. Do you really expect me to believe all this?”

Stiles concentrated. His eyes began to glow yellow. John let out a gasp and his hand instinctively reached for his gun. Stiles felt himself calm when the gun remained in the holster. “I’m telling you the truth, Dad. This is what I’ve been hiding all this time and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to get hurt, but now I kind of think you need to know so that you can protect yourself.”

John Stilinski was having an odd life moment. His skin had turned slightly pale and he looked uncomfortable. “My grandmother used to tell me stories about all these Polish urban legends, monsters and demons mostly. I’d be lying if I didn’t wonder if some of them were true in some weird way. And those animal attacks never have made sense. Are you okay? You’re not in pain or anything are you?”

Stiles shook his head. “No, I’m actually doing pretty good. The pain is minimal and I’m healing.” He lifted up his clean shirt to show his father the bite. “Alpha bites heal slower so it’s going to take some time. The good news is that bites can be fatal and Scott and I both dodged that bullet.”

“I’m really glad to hear that, son. I should probably get back to work and start laying the groundwork for this sex trafficking story. I’ll stop by the Whittemores and ask Jackson to make a statement.”

Stiles let out a sigh of relief now that the weight of all the secrets he’d been keeping was finally lifted. “That sounds good. I’ll send out a text and get everyone together at the animal clinic.”

“Why the animal clinic?”

“Deaton might have some information that could help us take down the alpha pack. Also, it’s neutral territory and the Argents know they can show up there without being harmed. I think it will make them feel better if you’re there, too.”

John stood up and he hugged his son. Stiles wrinkled his nose at the smell of coffee and fast food. “There’s one good thing about being a werewolf. Now I can tell when you sneak junk food behind my back.”

John groaned and he made a quick exit. Stiles decided to raid the fridge before he grabbed his cellphone from the charger in his room. His car keys and wallet were next to it and Stiles surmised that his father found them abandoned in Roscoe and he brought them home so that they would be safe until he returned. He admired his father’s hope even though he knew it was out of necessity more than actually believing that his disappearance would end in a good outcome. 

He ate the sandwich he made as he composed a text and sent it out to everyone that needed to attend. He also sent one to Deaton asking if it was okay that everyone meet there since he had already sent out the invites. Sorry not sorry.

He sent Deaton a second text telling him what Ms. Morrell told him and how she helped him and Jackson escape. Deaton thanked Stiles in a quick reply text and told him that they were always welcome at the clinic. Stiles headed downstairs to make another sandwich and he watched some television. It was only an hour after his father left before he got a text from Jackson.

_Your dad came over and my parents totally believed the sex trafficking story. I could tell you told him the news because he couldn’t stop staring at me like he was sizing me up. How’d he take it? And thanks for saving my life. PS: You’re still annoying._

Stiles formed a quick reply. _Dad took the news better than I thought. He’s still processing everything. I may be annoying, but you’re still an asshat. See you tonight._

He dropped the phone and he stood up when he heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. He ran to the window to look outside as adrenaline started flowing through his veins to prepare him for a potential fight. He calmed down almost instantly when he saw Scott get out of his mother’s car and run to the door. It was unlocked and he opened it and stepped in without knocking. He walked over to Stiles and pulled him into a hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Scott, it’s two o’clock in the afternoon. Why aren’t you in school?”

“I left when I got your message. Derek sent me one and told me what happened to you and Jackson. Stiles, I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you. They turned you into a werewolf and it’s all my fault.”

Stiles released his best friend and he shook his head. “This isn’t your fault, Scotty. They did it because they wanted to distract you and screw with our lives. This is on them.”

“Derek and I tried to track your scent, but we had to break into the impound lot and it had dissipated by then. I can’t believe they’ve had Jackson all this time.”

“Yeah. Can you imagine being tortured for information for that long? It isn’t his fault he told them what he did, you know.”

Scott nodded. “I know. We all would have spilled our guts if it had been us. Um, I probably shouldn’t tell you this but I saw Lydia leaving at the same time as I did. She said she was going to see Jackson.”

Stiles couldn’t feel upset by the fact that she was checking up on Jackson. He deserved to have someone make sure he was okay after everything he’d been through and Derek hadn’t exactly treated him warmly, not that his other betas would have fared any better. “Good. He’s going to need all of our support, too. Hey, I made my eyes glow for my dad.”

“That’s great. I mean, it’s pretty easy to control when you want to, but it’s still an accomplishment for a new werewolf.”

Stiles playfully hit Scott on the shoulder and Scott had to rub it for a few seconds because Stiles forgot about his extra strength. “Okay, but it’s better than me mauling my dad by accident. I’m gonna count it as a win.”

“That works for me,” Scott said as a laugh quickly followed. He hugged Stiles again and they both took a moment to inhale each other’s scents. Stiles was surprised how much Scott smelled the same, but there were nuances that he’d never noticed before. He could smell how happy his best friend was and how relieved he was. He could also smell his body wash and deodorant, not to mention the fading scent of the school hand soap on his hands.

“I can smell everything. This is really cool.”

Scott shook his head. “Just wait. It’s a mixed blessing, believe me. Walking around high school with so many hormonal teenagers is like getting beat with a dozen sticks every time you breathe through your nose.”

Stiles laughed at the image that came to his mind. “Lovely. I never wanted to be a werewolf.”

“I know,” Scott said.

“But I’m glad it’s something that brings us together instead of something that separates us.”

“That would never happen,” Scott reassured him. 

Now that they had gotten through their obligatory BFF reunion, Stiles decided it was time to move on to a more important subject. “Did you see Allison today?”

Scott nodded. “You know I share most of my classes with her.”

Stiles could have died and missing out on his best friend’s girlfriend troubles made him realize just how important these conversations were. As much as he joked about the monotony of Scott’s whining over Allison, it was part of being the guy’s best friend and he took that role seriously. “Is she still giving you the cold shoulder?”

Scott’s face was expressionless as he walked to the couch and sat down. “I mean, she’s been through a lot so it makes sense that she’s still trying to get her head back on straight. She hasn’t said much to me, but she did smile at me when we both got the message you sent. I’m pretty sure she’s going to show up tonight with her dad.”

“That’s good. Chris Argent did risk the wrath of a pack of alphas to help Derek make sure Jackson and I made it back okay.”

“That was cool of him. Maybe we’ll all actually make it through this alive.”

Stiles sat down next to his friend and handed Scott the remote control. “Sure. Let’s keep thinking that,” he joked.

Scott laughed as he picked out a television show for them to watch. As strange as Stiles’ life was, it was nice to know that his friendship with Scott was still there for him to rely on. “So, I guess I’m gonna need you to play me back when I helped you figure out all this werewolf stuff.”

“Oh, I can totally do that. And I’ve learned a few tricks on my own, plus all the extra stuff that Derek taught me. I’m gonna get to teach you how to fight!”

A thought came to his mind and he knew he’d have to proceed delicately. “Can you help teach Jackson, too? I know his relationship with Derek is strained because of how he treated Jackson when he found out he rejected the bite and turned into a kanima. I know he isn’t our friend, but he was nicer than usual to me when were were in the cell. He should at least know how to fight if he needs to defend himself.”

Scott nodded after he thought about it for a moment. “Okay, I’ll help him because you asked me to. It’ll be good for you to have someone to spar with that’s also a beginner.”

He was unable to hold back a smile. “Great. I’ll talk to him about it tonight. I invited him to the pack meeting since all of this concerns him as much as it does the rest of us.”

“That fair.”

Stiles heard a strange change in the timbre of Scott’s voice. He turned and looked at him. “Why did you say it like that?”

“I can’t believe you noticed. It took me weeks before I could pick out the differences in people’s speech patterns.”

“It’s probably because I know you so well.”

Scott was diplomatic as he began to explain what was on his mind and behind his change in tone. “Maybe. It’s just that he never seemed interested in anything we had to say before. I know part of that was his ego and that he was just so concerned about getting the bite. The guy couldn’t handle the fact that I had an advantage over him and he’s the one that asked for the bite so he bears some responsibility for what happened. I’m not saying we refuse to help the guy, but it doesn’t mean he’s an automatic part of the pack.”

Stiles looked at Scott and he tried to form his sentence as delicately as possible. “I get that, but none of us are alphas. Derek’s the only one in the area as far as I know and we’re all going to have to get along with each other. It’s like trouble is drawn to this town. I’m not saying we’re all one big happy pack, but we can at least be allies that look out for each other.”

Scott looked into Stiles’ eyes. “Is this about Lydia? Are you being nice to Jackson because you think they’re gonna get back together or something?”

Stiles frowned. “No. I mean, yeah, they probably will, but it’s not like being a werewolf is suddenly going to make her interested in me. The guy doesn’t have anyone except for her and Danny. I’d prefer for Jackson to be on our side rather than the alphas’. Besides, he is co-captain of our lacrosse team and we usually get along okay during games.”

“I’ll give him a chance.”

“Thanks, Scotty.”

“If you really want to thank me then you’ll give me food.”

Stiles groaned. “Oh, man. I just realized that now I’m going to be eating a lot more food. I’m gonna have to get a part time job to help my dad pay for the groceries.”

Scott laughed. “I think the hospital is looking for a new candy striper.”

Stiles shoved Scott and accidentally rolled him over the side of the couch in the process. He landed on the floor with a thud. 

“Oops. Sorry, man.”

“I’m giving you a week to get used to this. After that, I’m gonna start knocking you to the floor as payback.”

“No, I don’t think you will. We both know your mother loves me more than you.”

Scott laughed loudly as he climbed back into his seat. “What makes you think that?”

“I have a key to your house.”

“So do I,” Scott noted.

“Yeah, but I don’t live there and I have a key. That means she likes me.”

Scott frowned. “Dude, Isaac has a key.”

“He lives there. How are you not getting this?”

“I think it comes down to the fact that you’re delusional. My mom likes you, but she actually has to love me.”

Stiles smiled at his friend. “I’m pretty sure she’s just faking until you leave for college.”

It was Scott’s turn to push his friend. He was more careful and aware of his strength, but he was tempted to be a little more forceful with Stiles now that he was no longer human and could take the abuse. “I’m gonna tell her you said that. I sent her a text to tell her about the meeting in case she wants to come.”

“Good. We can settle this once and for all. And then you’re gonna have to cry in front of everyone when I’m proven right.”

“It’s a shame getting the bite didn’t also help you develop some common sense,” Scott retorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Stiles and Scott's friendship. I think the writers really did them a disservice the last half of the show in order to add some angst and I'm not convinced they came back as strong as they would before even though the show would like us to believe that they did. Anyway, thanks for reading the latest chapter.


	5. We've All Got This Mutual Problem So We Should Probably Sit Down And Fix It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles brings everyone together in the hope that they can form an alliance against the alpha pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a long one. It took me over an hour to edit it, but that's mostly because I kept adding things that I thought were missing in the original draft. Enjoy!

Everyone was gathered around the lobby of the animal clinic in a circle that reminded Stiles of some kind of support group meeting. He actually had to go to the back room to get the extra chairs since so many people were attending and he was overwhelmed by the smell of all the animals in the process. Scott told him it would get easier once he got used to his enhanced senses, but the sense of smell was the most difficult to turn off compared to the others.

Derek sat with his back to the wall and an eye on both of the exits, his betas surrounding him. Erica was wearing a leather jacket and a pink top that Lydia complimented her on as soon as she saw it. Erica responded by complimenting Lydia on her shoes. Jackson sat next to Stiles with Lydia on his opposite side. Allison and her father were on Lydia’s left and Scott and his mother were on Stiles’ right. Deaton and Stiles’ father sat together because they were the last to sit down and they were too afraid to ask anyone to move.

Stiles’ nose was easily picking up a few scents he could recognize, anxiety and worry among them, but there are also some that he couldn’t identify. They each had their own notes and he could feel himself responding to them automatically even though he couldn’t place them. He was able to calm himself by focusing on the numerous heartbeats around him. There were so many that they melded together like some kind of tribal drum music that helped him stay present and focus on the matter at hand.

“Thank you all for coming,” Scott announced. Derek looked mildly annoyed that he wasn’t leading the discussion, but everyone knew Scott and they were more comfortable with him. “This meeting is about the alpha pack that abducted Stiles and Jackson. Deaton, can you tell us what you know about them?”

Alan Deaton nodded. He looked uncomfortable from the amount of eyes that were on him, but he was as stoic and restrained as ever as though he was able to turn off his emotions with a flick of a switch. Stiles found himself admiring the willpower that would take while also growing more suspicious over whether any of them really knew the guy at all. 

“From what I’ve been able to gather through Marin and other records, Deucalion and his pack are all alphas. Part of the price for joining is that they have to slaughter their former pack to be deemed worthy of living long enough to join them. This also includes taking the alpha’s status if they do not already have it. It is my belief that they were drawn to Beacon Hills because of the Hale name.”

“So this is about Derek?” Stiles’ father asked. 

“Indirectly,” Alan continued. “It is really about the power that he possesses as alpha. Absorbing Derek into their own pack would give them a sense of legitimacy because of the Hale name, but it would simultaneously disrupt the balance that everyone here has tried to maintain. That is why Marin contacted me and let me know that their sights were set on Beacon Hills a few months ago. She wanted me to be more proactive than I thought was necessary. I am sorry for that miscalculation.”

“It’s not your fault, Deaton,” Scott said firmly. “You’ve been a big help to us and we know you didn’t want Stiles to get bit.”

Lydia turned to Derek. “Not that I’m complaining, but why isn’t Peter here?”

“He decided leave town a few days ago. He should be back next weekend. He’s been visiting some old friends in Peru.”

“Is it possible that he has a connection to this pack?” Chris Argent asked. “I’m not trying to be accusatory. I’m just wondering if he has any more information that could help us.”

Derek shrugged. “It’s possible, but I wouldn’t trust anything he would have to say on the subject. He has a habit of manipulation through lies. I’m more concerned with why they went after Stiles instead of one of my betas.”

“I agree,” Lydia said. “It only makes sense to go after Stiles if this is about Scott. I think they took Jackson because they needed information and they had the perfect opportunity to take him without anyone being alerted, but we can’t ignore the fact that Derek gave Jackson the bite.”

Jackson was uncomfortable at the mention of his name. Stiles turned to him and smelled his unease. After a moment, the scent faded and it was replaced by a sweet smell that Stiles couldn’t identify. It felt comforting to him, like how he’d sometimes use the memories of his mom making cookies as he sat at the counter and colored pictures with her, the aroma wafting throughout the house, to lull himself to sleep. 

Jackson frowned when he saw that Stiles was staring. Stiles looked away and hoped no one else had noticed. His eyes drifted to Boyd and Erica. They were both keeping a close eye on the Argents and especially on Allison. Considering what Allison had done under the influence of her grandfather, Stiles couldn’t blame them for being cautious. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to be alone in the same room with her now that he was no longer human. 

He instantly chastised himself for thinking such a thing, but to say there weren’t any doubts would be a lie. Still, she hadn’t done anything to hurt him or Scott, all of that had been Gerard operating behind her back. It wasn’t fair to put his guilt onto her even though she was dealing with some of her own.

“I don’t suppose they discussed any of their plans in front of you?” Scott asked Jackson.

The beta looked at Scott with a sneer. “No, they weren’t that dumb.”

Stiles fought back the urge to smile and managed to focus on the annoyed look on Scott’s face. “What did they gain by turning me?” He asked as soon as the thought appeared in his head. “It’s not like it disrupts Scott’s world enough to distract him and I’m not capable of killing Derek to get his super special alpha powers. The extra stress and responsibility sounds like a headache waiting to happen if you ask me.”

Derek eyed all three of his betas. “You have no idea.”

“Maybe you’re on the right track,” Melissa suggested. “They might have thought they could use you to spy for them. You’re an ally to Derek’s pack and best friends with Scott. You’d be perfect to get more useful information— the kind of stuff that Jackson wouldn’t know. No offense, Jackson.”

Jackson thought it over. “It’s okay. She does have a point, Stiles.”

Stiles nodded. “Using me as a sleeper agent would have been the perfect idea. I never would have gone along with it unless they threatened my dad in some way. Or they might have tried to convince me that they were only after Derek and they’d leave Scott alone if I fed them information, not that I would have believed that for a second.”

Allison looked into Stiles’ eyes. “We all know that you would never betray Scott. You’ve risked your life to protect him dozens of times.”

Jackson seemed to agree with that line of thought. “I pretty much told them that. Although, I think I mentioned the words _stupid_ and _suicidal_ in there somewhere.”

Stiles ignored the weak insult and wished he had more information. He found himself wondering if Deaton knew more than he was saying. He couldn’t exactly call him out in front of everyone, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t ask him another time. “I still think that they’re trying to prevent Scott and Derek from working together. The rest of us are just pawns to them.”

“Then we need to learn everything we can about them,” Chris suggested. “Figuring out their motive will help us determine their weaknesses.”

“I have some resources that I can contact,” Derek offered. “They may have heard something about them through the grapevine.”

Chris eyed Derek for a moment, his expression blank. “I also have some sources I can reach out to. People that I trust,” Chris offered. “Allison and I have talked and we don’t want to get involved in something that is clearly none of our business, but we aren’t going to let anyone dangerous come into town and just sit by and watch them hurt people for no reason.”

Erica rolled her eyes and Boyd had to soothe her by holding her hand. Isaac was quieter than usual but still seemed to be listening to what everyone was saying. Stiles wondered if they were under orders to sit and listen from their alpha in order to present a more unified front to the hunters and everyone else in attendance. He smirked at the thought because it sounded exactly like a strategy that Derek would come up with. “Thank you,” Melissa told them both.

“The full moon is in two days,” Stiles reminded everyone. “We should all stick together as much as possible in case they try to use it as a distraction to get to us.”

Scott tapped his chin for a few seconds. “We can hang out at my house. The new flooring is down and it’s centrally located.”

Melissa nodded. “Yes, you’re all more than welcome there.”

Derek smiled at her. It was genuine and not at all creepy like he tended to get when he was trying to force being kind. “Thank you.”

Stiles’ eyes drifted from Derek back to Jackson. Stiles could feel his body heat even from a couple of feet away and the pleasant scent was still filling his space, not that he was complaining. He frowned as he looked over Jackson’s clothes, a pair of jeans and a polo shirt covered by a Gap jacket. He looked good, Stiles had to admit, and he began to wonder if the scent was from the laundry detergent or fabric softener that his mother used. 

He was still so new to this and he hated not having answers. He turned away when he realized his father was eyeing him suspiciously. The sheriff was no doubt curious as to why Jackson had captured his son’s attention for so long, and Stiles did his best to deflect the attention away from himself by, it would seem, throwing himself under the bus. 

“I’m not sure how I’m going to handle my first full moon. It would probably be good to have backup around to knock me out in case I get a little rowdy.”

Allison smiled and Erica outright laughed at the images Stiles’ word choice elicited in their minds. Their faces returned to an unreadable expression when they each realized they had both found the same thing funny. 

“We’ll be there for you, Stiles,” Scott promised. “You won’t hurt anyone.”

Lydia cleared her throat after a minute of silence. Everyone knew that Stiles was very capable of harming someone as a werewolf and she was the only one that didn’t seem concerned by the possibility. “I think defense is well and good, but the fact remains that we’re all at risk. It might not be wise to wait for them to attack us. We should consider some offensive strategies as well.”

“Well, my ability to control mountain ash is gone,” Stiles admitted. He still felt a little bitter about it if he was being perfectly honest. “That means I can’t use it to trap any of them.”

Deaton was quick to respond. “That’s true, but Melissa can. I’d be happy to instruct anyone here on how to wield it effectively.”

Stiles’ father turned to Deaton with a look of confusion on his face. “What now?”

“It’s ash from the rowan tree. It has the ability to repel the supernatural and has historically been used to trap supernatural creatures and make them more docile. It isn’t foolproof, but I suspect you’ll have no problem employing it if necessary.”

Chris looked at John. “I’d be happy to provide you with some wolfsbane bullets and any other equipment you might need to keep on hand, free of charge. It makes sense for you to have some stock as the local sheriff.”

“Thank you,” John said. “Stiles told me the basics as best he could. I’m clearly still missing some details.”

“We can get lunch tomorrow and I’ll go over the basics,” Chris offered.

“I’d appreciate that.”

Stiles turned to Allison and he gave her a smile. She smiled back. If their fathers were talking, surely things weren’t doomed between the group. Stiles found himself hoping that there would be many more meetings like this in the future, not because of some supernatural threat or common enemy, but because they all liked being in each other’s company and they had formed a community where everyone could be themselves and not have to keep secrets.

They clearly weren’t some well orchestrated pack, but what they had worked for them, Stiles thought. They all brought something different to the table and that was, in Stiles’ mind, what a strong pack should be. If only he could get everyone else on board with that.

Stiles turned to Jackson. “Scott’s volunteered to help teach us how to fight. Once we have a few lessons in, it might help for us to spar with Derek and his betas. Assuming they’re up for losing.”

Boyd smirked. “You two don’t stand a chance.”

Stiles smirked back. “We play lacrosse. We’re athletic.”

“I play lacrosse,” Jackson corrected. “Stiles just runs up and down the field trying not to pass out.”

By the sounds of laughter around him, Stiles knew that most of the others at least partially agreed with Jackson’s assessment. “Hey! I got that goal that one time. And I’m a lot faster now that I’ve got werewolf blood coursing through my nimble frame.”

Scott laughed. “He did knock me onto the floor earlier today. He’s strong.”

Lydia seemed to enjoy the banter that she was witnessing, but it was clear there was something else on her mind. “I think training is a good idea. Allison, I’d love it if you and your dad could help train me as well. I’m not saying I want to go into battle against werewolves with just my fists, but some self-defense couldn’t hurt.”

Stiles perked up. “Ooh, can we make more molotov cocktails? Those were a lot of fun last time.” He caught sight of the horrified look on his father’s face and sunk back into his chair. “You know, assuming it was a life or death necessity,” he added.

“I have some ideas,” she said sweetly.

“We have a supply of wolfsbane grenades that just arrived. We’d have to be careful to use them so that none of you are affected, but they could be useful,” Allison announced. “And I’d be happy to work with you, Lydia. We have a three-day weekend because of Monday being a school holiday, so we’ll figure out our schedules.”

Chris seemed to agree. “I think self-defense training is a smart idea.”

Stiles looked around at everyone in the room. He pitied the alphas because he knew they were going to get their asses kicked. “We might all die in the process, but we’re definitely going to take those arrogant bitches down with us,” Stiles boasted.

“Please at least attempt to make it to graduation. I didn’t put all of this effort into my son’s upbringing and education to not see him get his diploma,” Melissa stated. They could all feel the weight and fear behind her words, the other parents in the room more so than anyone else. Scott smiled at his mother and John patted her on the shoulder. He looked at Stiles with the same proud look in his eyes and it almost made Stiles well up with tears. 

After all the lies and the secrets, he’d begun to accept that he would never see his father look at him like that. He just hoped that he could keep his father and the rest of his friends safe. 

“Well, I should get back to the station. I finished filing some reports to document the sex trafficking story I told to Jackson’s parents to explain his and my son’s absences. It should hold up if anyone wanted to look into it.”

“Thank you, dad,” Stiles said.

“Yes, thank you, Sheriff Stilinski,” Jackson added. “My parents have decided to keep me around for the time being.”

“That’s great news,” Lydia said to him. Stiles felt the same way even though he wasn’t sure why. He knew he would have felt the opposite before the bite and so much had seemed to change since then. He’d barely been in a cell with Jackson for twenty-four hours and his whole opinion of the guy had suddenly shifted. It was disconcerting and he didn’t understand how such a thing was possible.

Everyone stood up and Stiles started collecting the extra chairs so that Deaton wouldn’t have to. He carried the first batch to the back room where the animal food was kept and he did his best to try to avoid breathing through his nose. He was surprised when he turned around to go get the rest of the chairs and found Derek blocking his path. The alpha was holding a chair n each hand. “Oh, I was just on my way to get those. Thanks.”

“How are you feeling?” Derek asked.

“I feel good. Why?”

His voice was so low that Stiles had to use his werewolf hearing to be able to pick it up. “You were staring at Jackson a lot. I’m guessing you were distracted by his scent.”

Stiles knew it was futile to try to lie or hide it. He also knew he shouldn’t be embarrassed that werewolves relied on their sense of smell, but he was still operating with a human mentality. Smelling guys, especially ones that you used to hate, was generally frowned upon by other guys his age. “Yeah, I guess.”

“We need to talk. Come with me.”

Stiles was led outside through the back door of the clinic. They waited until the door was closed before they started speaking. Derek still kept his voice low to help dampen their conversation and prevent it from being picked up by werewolf ears. “Stiles, this is a complicated situation.”

“Being a werewolf? No kidding?”

“Not just that. Normally something like this doesn’t happen until after a werwolf gets the bite and has a few years of training and experience behind them. Do you know why Erica and Boyd grew so close?”

Stiles thought about it for a second. “I just assumed they liked each other and they kept one another warm after a few too many cold nights in that abandoned train yard you guys like to stay at.”

Derek shook his head. “No, not quite. I mean, their continued proximity did have something to do with it. And they were attracted to each other from the very beginning, but there was more to it than that. Boyd and Erica are mates.”

Stiles’ research had come across the term a few times. “Oh, wow. Okay. I didn’t realize it was that serious.”

Derek nodded. “It’s not something to be taken lightly. I advise you to be cautious with Jackson because something like this is…”

Stiles held up his hands and stopped Derek from speaking. Part of his brain was confused why Jackson had been brought into the conversation about mates and Boyd and Erica. The other part of his brain was going haywire firing off synapse after synapse as it tried to make the connection. “I’m confused.”

“A werewolf can recognize a potential mate by their scent. They smell sweet and it usually has a calming effect which is much stronger than an anchor would provide.”

Oh. _Oh!_ Everything suddenly made sense. Jackson had smelled really good to him and his presence was calming somehow even though he knew that their years of antagonism and bad attitudes should have made him feel the opposite whenever the guy was around.

Stiles’ eyes were wide as he took a step away from Derek and turned to face the road. He could hear the others getting in their cars and leaving in the front of the clinic because the wind was carrying the sound. He thought he would have easily heard it even if the wind had died down. Stiles spun back around and looked at the alpha. “Are you freaking kidding me? Are you actually trying to tell me that Jackson is my mate?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Derek said exhaustedly. The guy did not have the patience to be dealing with teenagers, Stiles recognized, and yet fate had surrounded him with them. Stiles thought it was poetic in a way since his own maturity had been stunted around the same age when his family was brutally murdered and he was forced to flee with his sister. 

“Well, screw that! He and I have nothing in common and we can barely tolerate each other. Besides, he’s straight and head over heels in love with Lydia. I may be open to both sexes and he does smell amazing, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to offer him my virginity and start planning the rest of our lives together!”

“Stiles, stop overthinking this. First of all, just because he’s a potential mate for you doesn’t mean the feelings will be reciprocated. Although, to be honest, it’s pretty rare for that to happen. You know that werewolves are instinctual and reason isn’t always part of the equation. I’m just advising you to take things slow should something develop, unlikely as that may seem right now.”

He didn’t want to keep protesting because as much as he was against the idea, he could feel a part of himself receptive to the idea of spending time with Jackson, of getting to know him better and getting to see him laugh and smile. Of getting the chance to be close to him, to touch him. “Okay. I’ll take your advice and go slow. I’m talking glacial, practically frozen in carbonite slow”

Derek continued to stare at him. “You’re new to being a werewolf and I’d hate for you to do something you regret just because you feel compelled by this new aspect of your personality. I’ll talk to Jackson and tell him the same thing.”

Fear immediately took over and caused his respirations to increase. “Do you have to tell him? He’s going to know I like how he smells and I’m never going to live that down,” he complained.

“Yes, I need to speak to him about this. He’s still learning control and it’s safer for me to at least broach the subject.” He saw the look of abject horror on Stiles’ face and gave in. For a guy that didn’t care about any of the teenagers he was surrounded by, he sure seemed to do that a lot, Stiles noted. Not that he was complaining. “I don’t have to mention your name or that I’ve already talked to you about this.”

“Thanks.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with not being heterosexual,” Derek noted.

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Derek, you’re being overprotective and you’re not even my alpha, so I’m gonna pretend you did not just say that. It’s just a dude liking a dude. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.”

“That’s what I was saying. Are you really lecturing me right now?”

Stiles groaned even though he was kind of enjoying seeing Derek squirm. “Oh, settle down. You threatened me and I still held your head above water for over two hours. You owe me.”

“Excuse me? You dropped me into the pool!”

“I came back for ya, dude.”

Derek held his hands up to signal he was done with the conversation. “Whatever. I said what I needed to say. I’m leaving.”

“Wait. How will I know if he likes me?” Derek glared the most murderous glare that Stiles had ever seen. “Right. Forget I asked. I clearly don’t even care. Let’s go…away…now.”

Stiles walked back inside to thank Deaton for letting them meet there. He also wanted to ask him if he could tell him more about Deucalion and how there could be such a thing as a blind werewolf. He was surprised when he saw Allison standing alone in the lobby. Deaton approached him. “She waited behind to talk to you. Is that okay with you?”

Stiles nodded. “Sure. Thanks.”

Deaton walked into the back to give them some privacy. “Allison? Is something wrong?”

She got right to the point. “I owe you an apology. I let myself be manipulated by my grandfather. I was grieving for my mother and I let him convince me that Derek was responsible and I kind of adopted his mission as my own. Stiles, I am so sorry for what I did. I really didn’t know my grandfather took you hostage and beat you up.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely a low point in my life. Not a good memory.”

She wiped away tears from her eyes. “I hurt people that didn’t deserve it and I didn’t protect you. Please forgive me.”

“Of course,” Stiles said. He knew that everything that happened wasn’t entirely her fault and while she did carry some responsibility for her actions and choices, she more than deserved a second chance. “I mean, I know you kind of came into my life because you were dating Scott and that’s the only reason we had for speaking, but the truth is that I’ve come to think of you as a friend through all of this weirdness and I know you’re a good person deep down.”

“You do? I’m not so sure.”

“Come on. You’ve always tried to do the right thing. So you got sidetracked a little and stabbed a few werewolves.”

“I shot arrows through Boyd and Erica. Multiple arrows.”

Stiles fought back the urge to move a few steps away. “Okay, but you’re still worthy of redemption.”

She crossed the distance between them and pulled him into a hug. “I think of you as a friend, too.”

“Good to know. We probably shouldn’t hug for too long or Scott might get jealous.”

“Scott isn’t here.”

“Yeah, but he’ll smell you all over me and he might get the wrong idea. And I have to comment that you smell really good. Not as good as Jackson, but you smell like apples and…is that peppermint?”

“Spearmint,” she corrected. “It’s a new body spray that Lydia got me. What are you dong smelling Jackson?”

He froze. “I haven’t been. It just happens automatically and he happened to be sitting next to me so his scent was closest,” he lied.

She laughed and released him from the hug but went back in to kiss him gently on the cheek. “You’re a good person, too.”

“I hope so. I never wanted to be a werwolf and now I’m kinda terrified that I’m going to hurt someone.”

She shook her head. “You won’t. You have this innate kindness that makes you want to help anyone, even a guy like Jackson, and you’d never hurt someone that didn’t deserve it. I wouldn’t have picked for you to be a werewolf, but I’m not worried. You and Scott make a pretty good pair.”

“You think so?”

“I do.”

He smiled at her. “Good. I’m still shipping you and Scott by the way. I refuse to archive the fan fiction on my laptop and my Tumblr blog hasn’t gotten any new followers lately, but I’m not giving up. There’s still chemistry there.”

She laughed at his jokes even though it was clear she was still hurting inside where Scott was concerned. “It’s just really complicated right now.”

Stiles thought she needed to find some perspective. He was more than happy to perform his friendly duty and give her some. “Calculus is complicated. That’s why they have all those stupid formulas that you have to memorize. You and Scott are simple as long as you remember that you both deserve to be happy. You both still love each other and finding someone who feels that way about you is the most difficult part.”

“Maybe. Someday.”

“Good to know. I need to head home and update my Tumblr blog now that I have insider information.”

She rolled his eyes in a way that made her look even more endearing. “Shut up, you dork.”

Stiles chuckled to himself. He was ready to go, but he felt like there was something else that needed to be said. “Hey, can I ask you a really personal question that’s definitely none of my business?”

“Of course. Nothing’s stopped you before.”

“Very true. I’m just wondering if you’ve apologized to Derek and his betas.”

She wiped away another tear as she shook her head. “Let’s just say that I’m building up to it.”

“I get that. You know that Derek was just trying to save Scott from your mother, right? I really don’t think that Derek wanted to hurt her. He just made a split second decision to save Scott and, unfortunately, it was something that he couldn’t take back. I’m not saying he was right, but…”

“But he did it for the right reasons. I know. I guess I’m just trying to figure out what to say. There weren’t any _‘sorry I turned into a homicidal bitch and tried to murder you and your friends’_ cards at the Hallmark store the last time I checked.”

“Really? You should probably check Wal-Mart. It sounds like something they’d keep in stock.”

She laughed again. “I’ll add that to my to-do list. Thanks, Stiles.”

“I can be there if you want. When you apologize to them, I mean. I know you can take care of yourself, but if you want some support…”

She took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He could still sense her nervousness.“I would, but this feels like something I need to do on my own.”

Stiles admired her courage. She walked out of the clinic and got in her car and headed home. Stiles walked to the back to look for Deaton and found him filling out ordering paperwork for veterinary supplies. “Hey. Do you have a minute?”

“I have a few. How can I help?”

“It’s just that Deucalion is blind. Was he born that way? I would have thought the bite would correct something like that.”

Deaton nodded. “Ahh, yes. Marin told me that he doesn’t like to talk about it, but he’s told her enough over the last few months to leave her with the impression that it came from a confrontation with Gerard Argent.”

“That guy? He really gets around.”

“So it would seem. He found a way to blind Deucalion and his sight has never returned. Is that really what you wanted to ask me?”

Stiles avoided eye contact as he prepared to continue. “No. I kinda got the impression there was more to the alpha pack that you weren’t telling us. Like what you just told me about Deucalion’s blindness, for example.”

Deaton turned around on his stool so that he and Stiles were facing one another. “It’s no secret that I’m selective with the information I share. I do make an effort to only share that which I think is relevant. Perhaps that’s a bad habit on my part, but it’s how I managed to stay alive while the Hale pack perished in the fire. I don’t have any more information that would help you, but I can ask Marin to make contact with you if you think that would be helpful.”

“Really? I don’t want to put her at risk.”

“We’ve suspected that the’ve started to keep her at arm’s length for a reason. They could be concerned about her loyalty or just unwilling to share more than they think is absolutely necessary with someone that they don’t consider an equal. It’s hard to say. I do know that she thinks very highly of you. She thought you’d make an excellent emissary.”

“Did she really say that?”

“Yes, after one of your counseling sessions at the high school. And no, she didn’t tell me what the two of you talked about. Any more questions?”

“Just one. Are we going to survive this?”

Deaton thought long and hard about his answer to Stiles’ final question. “A day ago I would have said it was doubtful. Now I’m inclined to believe that circumstances could sway either way. Derek isn’t the most effective leader, but he does care for his betas and I suspect he cares for you and Scott as well. The problem is that there is distrust on both sides.”

“Yeah, I know Scott is resistant to the idea of joining his pack. They had that whole issue with Scott using him against his will to give Gerard the bite.”

“Yes, but I do believe there is a potential for a useful friendship there. Derek is used to having a pack and he knows the benefit that a strong pack provides. I suspect that Scott is resistant because he thinks he already has everything he needs. The truth is that none of us will survive this if they can’t get on the same page and learn how to work together.”

Something was nagging at Stiles from the periphery of his mind. “I still feel like we’re missing a few pieces of the puzzle. Not everything makes sense, Deaton.”

“No, but things seldom do when when the supernatural is involved. Still, you got all of these opposing sides to come to the table and start talking. You did that, Stiles, not Scott or Derek. Is it any wonder why my sister could see your potential? Even Peter saw it when he offered you the bite.”

“You know about that?” He was surprised to say the least. 

He nodded. “Yes, Scott told me.”

“Well, it wasn’t a secret or anything. I never really thought the offer was all that genuine.”

Deaton was quick to share his opinion. “I suspect is was. I think we’ll begin to see why as you embrace being a werewolf and begin accessing your full potential. Now, I should really get back to these order forms. I’ve got to get in more rabies vaccinations or we’re bound to have an outbreak.”

“Thanks for all your help, Deaton.”

“My door is always open.”

Stiles headed outside and he frowned. It was in that moment that he realized Scott was the one that drove them over there after meeting up at Stiles’ house earlier in the day. Everyone had vacated the parking lot. Everyone except the driver of one extremely shiny Porsche. Stiles stood still and looked into the car.

Jackson was looking at him and only part of his face was visible from the moonlight in the sky overhead. 

“Do you need a ride or what?” Jackson asked. He knew full well that Stiles’ hearing would be able to pick up on his words.

“Sure,” Stiles said as he approached. He opened the door and got inside. “How did you know to wait?”

“I didn’t. I came back to talk to you after people started leaving and I heard what Derek was telling you. I’ve been sitting in my car for the past twenty minutes just trying to process everything.”

Stiles was suddenly extremely uncomfortable. His hand reached for the handle to open the door. Jackson’s reflexes were superior and he locked the door before Stiles could make an escape. “It’s okay, Jackson. I can walk.”

“You _can_ walk, but that doesn’t mean you should. Stiles, none of this is our fault. The fact that we’re compatible has more to do with biology and instinct than it does with personality.”

“Does that mean…you…?”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah, you smell really good to me, too. I first noticed it back when I was preparing to leave for London. Derek mentioned something about potential mates back then and I instantly knew he was talking about you. It’s confusing as hell.”

“Tell me about it.”

Jackson’s hands balled into fits and came to rest on his legs as his heart rate increased slightly. “It’s not like I’m straight. I don’t think it would even be possible if that were the case.”

That caused Stiles’ eyebrows to raise. “Really? Bisexual?”

Jackson placed his hands on the steering wheel even though he wasn’t ready to start the car. “Actually, I’m pretty damn gay. You?”

“Bisexual. You know, it seems like Beacon Hills has a pretty high LGBT population for such a small town. Someone should look into that.”

“Maybe they should.”

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as they sat sharing the same air in the luxury vehicle. The leather seats were far more comfortable than what Stiles was used to and he didn’t have the urge to shift his weight every few minutes like he tended to do in Roscoe. He could hear Jackson’s increased heartbeat and he found it odd that his own was almost beating to the same rhythm. 

“Does Lydia know?”

“About us being potential mates?” Jackson asked.

“No, about you being gay. It seems like something she should know.”

Jackson seemed to be struggling with his words. “I haven’t told her. I didn’t completely realize it until after we were broken up. Danny’s been giving me hints most of my life and I’ve been oblivious or whatever. I’m going to tell her.”

Stiles felt bad for adding more to the weight Jackson was feeling about his sexuality. He felt like he was wearing the guy down and giving him another in a long list of problems to work through. “Look, this doesn’t have to mean anything. Nothing has to change. I mean, I would like us to be nicer to each other.”

“I’d like that too.”

Stiles took a breath. “Okay. Then why don’t we start there. Derek had a point. I’m new to being a werewolf and I need to figure things out before I can even think about dating someone. And I know I’m adorable, but you’re just going to have to put up a brave front for a while.”

“I’ll try to avoid giving in to temptation,” Jackson joked.

“Yeah. Good. Besides, we need to stay focused on the douchebags that are threatening our lives.”

Jackson agreed. “Good point.”

“Great. Uh, can I still get a ride home?”

Jackson pretended to be seriously considering tossing him out. “I guess we should start this friendship thing on the right foot. One little ride won’t hurt.” He reached over to the ignition and turned the key to start the vehicle. He pulled out of the parking lot carefully to avoid stirring up the gravel and they both felt comfortable with the agreement they made even though they simultaneously realized that they were significantly downplaying how easy it would be to ignore their instincts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do something different with the subject of mates. It's a pretty common trope in fics and I wanted to give it weight without making it be the equivalent of a Twilight werewolf imprinting on someone. So, in my mind, potential mates are two people that are well suited and could be great together, but it doesn't mean their life will feel empty if they don't pursue the relationship. 
> 
> I also needed some Stiles and Allison scenes because my fics always tend to overlook that friendship. Part of doing this story at this time was that Allison was still alive and I wanted to highlight a relationship that I enjoyed and that the show barely explored. I mean, have you seen the way Allison looks at Stiles when they're walking into Derek's loft to confront the nogitsune. That is a tortured friend in disbelief at what one of the people she most cares about is going through. 
> 
> There's some minor Stackson in this chapter and it's building up to better things, but I had to lay the groundwork with everyone allying together to defeat their common enemy. They're already a pack in my head so I did have some trouble conveying the fact that they were separate groups coming tougher, but I think I did okay. 
> 
> I'm going to try to edit and upload a few more chapters today so make sure subscriptions are on.


	6. My ESPN Told Me You Needed Me And I Dropped Everything To Be By Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles visits Jackson in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter. I hope you all will appreciate the humor I put in places. It won't make you laugh out loud, but it should at least make you smirk for half a second. Don't expect too much because I'm not getting payed for this.

Stiles tossed and turned for hours after he got home. He glanced at the alarm clock and groaned that it was almost four in the morning and he hadn’t been able to get any sleep. He’d heard his father come home and head straight to bed two hours earlier and he was out in a matter of minutes. The only good news was that it was technically Saturday morning which meant he didn’t have to worry about being tired all day at school.

He stood up and decided to go downstairs to watch some mindless television while he snacked on something unhealthy. He settled for a lifetime movie that looked about a decade too old and he curled up on the couch and watched as a woman, a single mother in her thirties, single handedly solved a triple homicide for which her teenaged son was the prime suspect. At the end of the movie, he felt like giving the woman a round of applause and he did just that because he knew no one was around.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Son of a—!” Stiles shrieked. He jumped up on his feet and looked in the direction the sound came from. His heart was racing and he felt his claws digging into the skin of his palms as his father stared at him with a raised eyebrow from the entryway of the kitchen, a glass of orange juice in his hand and close to his lips.

“I—I couldn’t sleep so I decided to watch some old Lifetime movie. It turned out to be really good and if this woman were a real live person I would pressure you to hire her at the station.”

“Okay. You were applauding to a television show?”

Stiles nodded. “Yes, and that’s not weird. People applaud to things on TV all the time. How did you get downstairs without me hearing you?”

John Stilinski shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess you must have really been into that movie.”

“Maybe. I hope my werewolf hearing isn’t broken. That would totally suck.”

“Calm down, kid. I’m sure it’s just because you’re fresh or new or whatever the proper term is. Give yourself a couple days before you start putting pressure on yourself. It’s not like you have to be a natural just because your best friend was a werewolf first.”

“I know I don’t have to be, but I kinda thought that’s what would happen.”

His father leaned back into the kitchen and placed the glass on the kitchen counter before he walked to join Stiles on the couch. He sat next to his son and turned his body at an angle so that he was facing him. “Everyone is different, right? It could be that you have a natural gift for something else. Don’t judge your experience based on what everyone else went through.”

“I’ll try,” Stiles promised him. He looked at his father and saw how tired he was. “You should go back to sleep, dad. I’m sure you’re planning on being at the station by eight o’clock. You can get in a few more hours.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Stiles nodded. “The bite has almost fully healed. I think the impending full moon is speeding up my healing. As for the other stuff, I’ll just take it easy. I’m sure training with Scott and Derek will help.”

His father patted him a few times on the shoulder. “Alright, kid. You should think about getting some sleep as well.”

Stiles nodded. He had no intention of going back upstairs to his bedroom, but he wouldn’t object to falling asleep on the couch if it happened. “I’ll probably watch a little more television to quiet down my mind and then I’ll give it a shot.”

Stiles watched his father ascend the stairs. He heard the click of the door as his father closed it and the squeak of the mattress springs as he got into his bed. The sound of the lamp next to the bed being turned off soon followed. Stiles returned his attention back to the television. It was now infomercials and his hand reached for the remote to find something better.

His hand started to shake and he dropped the remote control on the floor while the tension in his body increased. An ache spread through his chest and was followed in quick succession by chills that felt like he’d been tossed into a tub of ice water. His heart felt like it was a drum beating a battle cry and he managed to get to his feet. “Jackson,” he spit out through gritted teeth. 

All rationality was lost as he ran to the door and opened it. He ran out of the house without even bothering to close the door behind him. There were no shoes on his feet and the only thing he was wearing was a pair of checkered pajama pants and a pair of socks, not that he cared. His sole focus was getting to Jackson because he could sense that something was wrong.

He cut through yards and leapt over fences with ease in an effort to cut down on the time it would take to get there. He remembered geometry class and how the fastest way between two points was to move in a straight line and that’s what he did as best as he could. He riled up more than a handful of household pets as he weaved through neighborhoods and past closed businesses. 

He knew that Jackson lived almost a mile from his house and he wasn’t even tired by the half-way mark. His breathing found a rhythm and his werewolf-enhanced body carried him all the way. He stopped long enough to peel off the soiled socks that had been on his feet and then resumed as if he was on autopilot.

When he reached the Whittemore house, the front porch light was off as were most of the other lights in the house. His werewolf hearing easily picked up the whimpers coming from Jackson’s room and his eyes surveyed the structure to find a way to get to the second floor window. He made a running jump and leapt up, his hands fitting perfectly in the one inch space in the opening between the window and the frame. He hung with one arm like a monkey as he used the other to lift the window open wide enough so that he could climb through.

His feet fell against the soft carpet and he approached the bed cautiously. His eyes were glowing and scanning the room to make sure that no one was hiding in an effort to attack or ambush and they faded to his normal eye color when it was clear that they were alone. He noticed that the door to Jackson’s bedroom was locked as his head tilted sideways and he was inundated with Jackson’s scent. _Stress. Worry. Anger. Fear._

It all hit Stiles hard and he kneeled on the floor next to Jackson’s bed. Jackson was tossing and turning. It was clear to Stiles that he was having some kind of nightmare. His hand reached out and touched Jackson’s arm gently in an effort to wake him. 

The sleeping werewolf lashed out from the sudden touch as claws dug a stripe up Stiles’ chest and neck. Stiles could feel the blood trickling out of the wounds but his eyes never left Jackson. 

“What the hell?” Jackson asked. It turned out that Stiles had done just enough to wake him because he was looking at the intruder in his bedroom and smelling the blood in the air. “Stiles?”

“You were having a nightmare.”

“And you’re bleeding. Did I do that?”

“I’m fine,” Stiles insisted. “I could sense that something was wrong and I had to come. I—I know it’s weird. Do you need anything before I go?”

Jackson sat up. The open window allowed in enough light between the moon in the sky and the streetlamp across the street from Jackson’s house. It was nestled at the corner of what used to be the edge of the Lahey’s property. It had recently been sold and the money transferred into an account that Isaac would receive when he turned eighteen. 

“You ran here, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And that’s all you’re wearing?”

“I thought you were hurt. My head kept filling with all these horrible thoughts as I was running. Like Deucalion coming to kill you or Gerard hurting you to get to me. Maybe I should check the house before I go.”

Jackson rolled his eyes before grabbing Stiles by the wrist and holding him in place. “Stilinski, this isn’t normal behavior even for you. You don’t usually break into people’s homes.”

Stiles was still. “I was worried about you,” he reiterated as though those simple words would explain everything away. 

Jackson narrowed his eyes as he released Stiles’ wrist. “The full moon is tomorrow. I’m sure that’s what this is about. Are you saying that you can sense when I’m worried or hurt?”

Stiles shook his head. “Maybe. I think it’s just you. I should have called but I kind of lost control, I guess. I don’t even think I closed the door to my house.”

Jackson got out of the bed and he walked to the door. “I’ll be right back. Wait here.”

Stiles stood in the same spot even after Jackson unlocked the door and opened it. He stayed motionless even after Jackson disappeared down the hallway, his ears listening for every footstep so that he could be ready at the first sign of trouble. His ears even picked up the squeak of the stairs as Jackson descended them. He didn’t move when Jackson cursed under his breath for some unknown reason, but his werewolf hearing picked it up as if Jackson was in the next room instead of downstairs. His breathing only started to return to normal when he heard Jackson making his way back upstairs.

Jackson entered the bedroom with a bottle of water in each hand. He closed and re-locked the door and walked over to Stiles before tossing the water on the bed, a worried look on his face. Stiles was standing in the same spot and Jackson noticed that he looked off. “Stiles, are you okay? Geez, your whole body is shaking.”

“You should have let me check the house first,” Stiles chastised. “What if someone was hiding? They could have killed you before I got there.”

Jackson grabbed his shoulder and led him to the bed. Stiles sat down and Jackson sat next to him. He took his comforter and wrapped it around Stiles’ shoulders in case he was cold, his eyes looking over the bite that was about 90% healed. “Stiles, no one else is here. My parents are asleep in their bedroom. The only other heartbeats belong to us.”

Stiles listened and a sense of calm washed over him when he knew everything was okay. Jackson was safe. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Okay, Jackson.”

“Here. Drink some of this.” He reached for one of the water bottles and handed it to Stiles after removing the lid. Stiles drank half of it before handing it back. 

“I’m sorry. I’m probably making you reconsider removing that restraining order.”

Jackson looked into his eyes and there was empathy in them, not to mention a little compassion and affection. “No, I get it. This is happening because of our…connection. Add in the fact that you’re a new werewolf and this makes total sense. It will get better, but it’s going to take a little time. You probably won’t start to feel like yourself until after the full moon passes.”

Stiles turned and broke eye contact. “Are you sure you’re okay? I—I need to hear you say it.”

Jackson put a hand back on his shoulder. “I’m okay. I promise.”

All the tension in his body eased as though it had been drained away along with the adrenaline. and worry. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in your house before,” Stiles realized.

“I think you came for my seventh birthday party before we all went to the bowling alley. My mom made me invite you because she heard about what happened with your mom.”

Stiles nodded as the memory came rushing back. “I remember that, actually. It was three weeks after we buried her. I could tell you didn’t want me there because we didn’t share any of the same friends, but you were still nice to me.”

“Yeah. I can’t believe you remember that.”

Stiles was equally surprised. “I didn’t until you mentioned it. You were wearing a red and blue striped shirt and you spent most of the party with teal cake icing on the side of your mouth. You had a cut under your chin from where you fell on a hiking trip.”

Jackson frowned. “Okay, that’s really good recall. Do you have a photographic memory or something?”

“I wish. Tests would be much easier if I did. Maybe it’s something to do with the bite and my brain healing from the ADHD?”

Jackson took a drink out of the same water bottle he’d given Stiles without a second thought. “It might be. You look exhausted.”

That was what every guy wanted to hear from his potential mate. “I haven’t been able to sleep. The last time I slept was when I was in the cell with you.”

“You can lay down if you want to. My parents never come into my room and I’ll just make something up if they do.”

Stiles wanted to, but his mind was screaming for him to stick to the agreement that they had both made in Jackson’s car. He couldn’t believe how ridiculous he must have looked showing up suddenly just because he thought Jackson was in trouble. “No, I should go home. My dad would be worried if he knew I ran out of the house. I’d probably get grounded for a month if he found out I left the door wide open.”

“I’ll drive you home. Let me get my keys.”

Stiles stood up and pushed the comforter back onto Jackson’s bed. He started walking to the window. “No, there’s no need. I’m glad you’re okay, Jackson.”

Jackson sighed. “Okay, just stay there for a minute.” He got up and walked to his closet. Stiles could hear the clattering sound as plastic hangers tapped against each other as Jackson looked for something. He pulled a garment off of a hanger and approached Stiles. 

“Here. Put this hoodie on at least. Oh, let me get you some shoes.”

“I don’t need…”

Jackson stared at him with the same face that he once used to taunt Stiles and Scott. “Put this on or someone is going to see you and call the police. They’ll think you escaped from Eichen House.” 

The cuts on Stiles’ chest and neck were healed but there was still blood there. Jackson picked up a couple of Kleenex and he ran them down Stiles’ neck and chest to clean him up. It turned out to be more sensual for the both of them than he intended. He cleared his throat as he tossed them into the garbage. Stiles was standing there watching him the entire time, eyes unwilling to look away as though he’d vanish into thin air if he didn’t maintain eye contact.

He took the hoodie and turned it around before placing it over Stiles’ head and bringing it down over his shoulders. Stiles snapped back to life then and took over dressing himself as Jackson retrieved a pair of sandals from the shoe organizer in his closet. “These should get you home.”

He caught Stiles smelling the sleeves of the hoodie that he was now wearing. “It smells like you,” he said happily, a smile on his face. 

Jackson nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure it does. Do you want me to put these on you or can you do that yourself?”

Stiles took the sandals from him and he put them onto his feet. They were a little small, but he wasn’t about to complain. “Thanks, Jackson.”

“Thanks for coming to make sure I wasn’t getting murdered. Feel free to call first next time.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Stiles turned and he leapt through the window. He ignored the small amount of fear and it dissipated as soon as he made a perfect landing. _I’m totally an awesome werewolf now_ was the first thought in his mind before he started walking back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost made Jackson turn into a jerk and push Stiles away as a defense mechanism, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Stiles was totally giving me Liam vibes in a couple parts of this chapter, and I'm okay with that.


	7. I Don't Like To Brag But These Guns Were Made For A Massacre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott begins training Stiles and Jackson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you, dear readers, another fun chapter. I hope you like it.

“How many servings is that?” John Stilinski asked of his son. He was watching his offspring devour his third stack of pancakes and it saddened him to admit that his son turning into a werewolf did nothing to remedy his sloppy eating. 

“I lost count after the first one,” Stiles lied. “What? It’s not like I’m gonna turn into a couch potato. Jackson and I are training with Scott in a few hours and I need carbs. Maybe I should add some protein?”

John smiled at his son and he slid his plate over. There were three slices of bacon that he had been too full to finish. It was turkey bacon, but he figured his son wouldn’t complain since he was the reason it was on the shopping list. “Try not to leave blood all over the preserve. You know people hike through there and we don’t need to get a dozen calls about a potential crime scene.”

“It’s the first day of training. Scott will go easy on us.”

Scott wasn’t going easy on them. Jackson and Stiles were both breathing heavily, the latter leaning on a tree as he fought the urge to throw up the large breakfast he had eaten. They were running drills like they did in lacrosse practice and that was fine, but then Scott had the idea of making them run at him one at a time and try to tackle him to the ground. Jackson received a broken nose three tries ago and it had already healed. 

Stiles forgot that being a werewolf still meant you felt the pain of everything you went through. Neither of them mentioned Stiles’ early morning visit to Jackson’s bedroom. Stiles was worried that Scott could sense his feelings for Jackson had changed and it wasn’t like he was ignoring the numerous opportunities to check out Jackson in the process. 

“Do you think the alpha pack is going to give you a chance to stop for a breather? Go again.”

Stiles walked away from his comfort tree and he stared at his best friend. “I liked you better before you turned into…this. I miss asthma Scott.”

“Go. Now,” Scott ordered.

Stiles sped off into a run. Scott bent down to pick up a rock. He threw it at Stiles and the new werewolf growled in anger as it hit him in the head. Scott smiled as Stiles continued. He reached out for Scott’s throat and Scott easily dodged him, sweeping his legs out from under him in the process. “That was horrible, Stiles. You should have seen that coming. You’re too easily distracted.”

Stiles got to his feet and walked back as Jackson took his turn. He leapt onto Scott at the last possible second and took the beta by surprise. Scott managed to overtake Jackson and he tossed him off to the side after piercing him in the back with his claws. They reset positions.

Stiles took another try, this time moving slowly and carefully while he studied Scott’s body language. He lashed out with his claws and managed to connect with Scott’s shoulder before his best friend grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard. They both heard an audible crack before Scott kicked him in the chest and sent him falling backwards to the ground. “That was much better, Stiles. You actually drew blood.”

“You broke my wrist, dickface,” Stiles said.

“Let me see,” Jackson demanded, walking over. He set it quickly and pretended not to notice the way that Stiles winced as it snapped back. “It should be fine in a couple of minutes.”

“Thanks,” Stiles told him. They walked back to the starting point and Jackson went again. He leapt over Scott and punched him in the side of the face, but his impact with the ground was enough of a distraction for Scott to take advantage of. He grabbed Jackson by the throat and shoved him to the ground, face in the dirt. It hadn’t rained for about a week in Beacon Hills and he was lucky that it wasn’t mud. Jackson struggled but Scott kept him there easily.

“Is this the best you have, Jackson? You need to fight smarter!”

“Let me go, McCall.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed. There’s no point in you being here if you can’t defend yourself.”

“Let me go,” Jackson reiterated, his anger growing. 

“Make me!”

Stiles lost it. He crossed the distance between them in seconds and his arm swung hard which knocked Scott off balance and forced him to release Jackson. Stiles wasn’t thinking rationally and he still felt that Scott was a threat to Jackson, to his mate. He growled fiercely and his eyes glowed as he began to punch Scott repeatedly. He didn’t stop even as he got Scott to the ground. His punches came swiftly and it wasn’t long before Scott’s face was bruised and bloody. 

Scott was unconscious when Jackson finally managed to pull Stiles off of his best friend. “Jesus, Stiles, that’s enough! Scott wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was trying to make me fight smarter.”

Stiles’ hands were shaking as he realized what had happened when he lost control. He knelt down next to Scott and pushed his shoulder gently. He could see the bruises start to lessen in intensity as they began to heal, the blood from the cuts starting to scab. “Scott? Are you okay, buddy?” He asked. His hand moved to Scott’s forearm and he began to absorb his pain.

Scott’s eyes snapped open and he looked up at Stiles with a mixture of emotions visible in his expression. “Where the hell did that come from? You could have killed me.”

“I lost control. I’m sorry. But you shouldn’t have done that to Jackson. If you ever do that again…” He stopped himself from speaking and he took a few breaths to contain the anger that had started to bubble up.

“We should probably train separately for a while,” Jackson suggested.

Stiles stood up and he extended his hand to Scott. The beta took it and he looked at Jackson for an explanation. It was clear that he knew something that Scott wasn’t privy to and he felt like he deserved an answer. When Jackson stayed silent and his eyes looked to the ground, he turned his attention back to Stiles.

“This isn’t just about the full moon. What’s going on with you two?”

“Jackson was having a nightmare early this morning and I could feel it all the way at home. I ran to his house and broke into his bedroom to make sure he was okay. I left not long after I got there, but I think it’s safe to say that I’m overly protective of Jackson right now.”

“Okay,” Scott said slowly. “Well, it makes sense that you two would bond after what you both went through with the alpha pack. That still doesn’t give you an excuse to beat up on your best friend.”

“You were forcing his head into the dirt, Scott. Would you let someone do that to Allison?”

“Jackson isn’t Allison,” Scott retorted. He seemed insulted at the comparison.

Stiles cracked his knuckles and his eyes took in the blood covering his knuckles. It turned out that the sight of blood no longer made his stomach churn and he wondered if he’d feel the same way after seeing his own blood. “No, not to you…”

“Huh?” Scott asked. He was very familiar with how Stiles had a tendency to talk around the truth. If you gave him enough rope, he’d hang himself only after walking the other person in so many circles that they were too dizzy to cut the hanging man down. 

“Potential mates,” Jackson interjected. “Derek told Stiles that he and I are potential mates last night after the meeting. He’s been really protective of me ever since. I mean, he was only wearing pajama pants when he ran to check on me and he didn’t even bother to close the front door to his house. He wasn’t thinking in his right mind.”

“Kind of like how you were with Allison in the beginning,” Stiles added. “Like that time you stalked Jackson and Allison, for example.”

“What? When was that?” Jackson asked.

“It’s not important. Stiles, I wasn’t really going to hurt him. If you think the alpha pack is going to be like that with him then you’re sorely mistaken. They fight to kill, not to maim. You’ve got to get this under control because they will use him against you as soon as they figure it out. You’ve got to be rational.”

“I don’t know how to control it.”

“We can talk to Derek about it,” Jackson suggested. “He might have some tips and it wouldn’t hurt to check in since the full moon is tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Stiles said. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll text him right now.”

“No,” Scott ordered. “We’re going to go a few more rounds first. Stiles, your anger was like getting hit with a semi truck.”

“I’m sorry,” he reiterated.

“I’m glad, but that’s not what I meant. If you can use your anger then it makes you faster and stronger. You can use that to fight the alpha pack like you just did with me. You beat the crap out of me, dude.”

Jackson smiled proudly at Stiles. “Yeah, he totally did. I wish I had been recording it.”

“I was,” a voice from the sidelines said. The three of them looked over and saw Boyd, Erica, and Isaac watching them with a cell phone in Erica’s hand. It was pointed at them. “Derek has us doing reconnaissance. Stiles, that was awesome!”

“Thanks,” Stiles replied sheepishly. 

Scott put his hands onto his hips. “Maybe Derek could have you doing reconnaissance on the alpha pack? That would probably be more useful than our first training session.”

Boyd smirked. “He’s the alpha. We just do what he says. You might want to fix that broken nose before it heals wrong, McCall. You don’t want to be stuck looking like that forever.”

Scott lifted his hands to his face only to find that his nose was perfectly fine. “It’s not broken,” he told them.

“Oh, my bad. I guess you’re already stuck with that face,” Boyd joked.

Isaac was a friend of Scott’s and he was living in Scott’s house, but even he couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the joke. “Let’s leave them alone, guys. I’m sure we got enough footage for Derek. See you at home, Scott.”

“Yeah. You will,” Scott answered darkly.

They watched Derek’s betas retreat into the trees until they were out of view. Stiles looked to Scott. “Want me to go steal the phone and delete the footage? I could easily take out that scarf-wearing hipster and Erica would probably murder me, but I bet you I could break the phone before that happens.”

“It’s not worth it. Time to go again.”

Stiles and Jackson both walked back to the starting point. “Sorry you had to tell Scott about our situation. I’m sure Derek’s betas heard, too.”

“It’s not your fault. This usually happens to werewolves after they’ve already gained control of the shift and have experience dealing with the power of the full moon. It’s okay that we’re both struggling to deal with this.”

Stiles looked at him. “You’re struggling with it?”

Jackson played his cards close to his vest. He wasn’t about to give out any information, even if he would be giving that information to Stiles. “In my own way. You go first.”

“What? It’s your turn.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one that beat your best friend to a bloody pulp. He’s aching for payback now that he’s healed and I’m not going to be the first one to face him and his wrath.”

“But I’m your potential mate. Doesn’t that buy me some good will or something?”

Jackson smiled as he shook his head. “Look at the way he’s glaring at you right now. McCall is ready to give you a payback beatdown. I’ll step in if it looks like he’s about to kill you. You’re on your own until then.”

“Fine,” Stiles said. “You’re not getting your hoodie back.”

“I don’t care,” Jackson laughed. “You’re still going first.”

“I will.”

“Be my guest.”

Scott groaned from his position a few meters away. “Are you two going to flirt all day or are we actually going to get some training in? It’s not like there’s a pack of alpha werewolves hidden away somewhere plotting to kill all of us.”

“Keep your shirt on, Scotty.”

“I can smell your arousal from all the way over here.”

Stiles looked at Jackson. “If I kill him then you’re helping me dismember the body. We’ll tell his mom that the alpha pack got him.”

“Deal,” Jackson agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the trinity of Boyd, Erica, and Isaac. They were criminally underused in the show (screw you, Jeff Davis) and their potential hadn't even been actualized before they started dropping like flies. I was looking forward to the eventual friendship between Erica, Allison, and Lydia that never had a chance of materializing. I'm bitter and I recognize that I have a problem.
> 
> I thought this was a fun way for Scott to find out about Jackson and Stiles being potential mates. I think he's going to take the news well, but that doesn't mean he approves of Jackson for his best friend.


	8. They Say The Truth Will Set You Free, But That's Just Narc Propaganda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has an illuminating visit with Derek and Deaton. He also has an uncomfortable discussion with Lydia over what's happening between him and Jackson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final upload for the day. I'm starting to get some ideas for the second story in the series and I need to start getting my thoughts down while they're clear in my head.

It was Saturday night and Stiles was knocking on a large metal door inside of a building at the edge of the city limits. It was an address that Derek had sent him and he wondered for a split second if this was some kind of ambush. The door opened swiftly and Derek stood on the other side. “Stiles,” he said simply before moving to allow Stiles to enter.

Stiles walked into the loft and he looked around. His nose picked up on all the scents of Derek and his betas. “You live here now?”

Derek nodded. “I bought the building. It’s big enough for me and my pack if any of them need to crash here for a while. What did you want to talk about?”

Stiles saw the smug look on Derek’s face and he already knew that the alpha had seen the video. “You know what I came here to talk about. Erica showed you the video, I’m guessing.”

“Yes, I saw it. You’re pretty spry; I honestly didn’t think you had it in you. Scott was knocked out cold before he even knew what was happening.”

“I’m not a fighter. My dad threatened to use his taser on me in the fifth grade if I ever got into a fight at school.”

Derek laughed. “It’s clear that you’re not a fighter, but you do have potential. I wanted to offer you the bite myself, but I knew you’d turn it down. You were Scott’s best friend, after all.”

“I still am,” Stiles corrected.

“So, you came to talk about Jackson. I know the way Scott was treating him was what set you off.”

“Exactly. I lost control and Scott’s worried the alphas are going to use that against us as soon as they figure it out.”

Derek thought for a moment while he walked to the large windows looking out on the balcony. “Yes, he’s right to be cautious. If they were to spin it the right way you’d probably turn on everyone just to protect Jackson. It’s not your fault, Stiles. It’s an instinct that has been hardwired into us to perpetuate the species.”

“That’s great, but it’s not like Jackson and I can have a litter of pups.”

“You know that sexuality has nothing to do with it. Jackson was wrong when he suggested that the full moon was part of the problem. It’s not related at all.”

Stiles groaned at the revelation. He was hoping that he could blame it on the full moon and that it would subside once he got over the hurdle. He could deal with it if it was a once or twice a month kind of thing. “So I’m gonna feel like this forever?”

“Probably, but you’ll get better at dealing with it. You need to funnel it into something more productive. Peter used to run for miles every day and it got worse every time he broke up with his girlfriend. It did get better after they got married and settled into domestic life.”

“I’m not marrying Jackson. We aren’t even seventeen years old.”

Derek found it funny that that his mind would automatically go there. “I wasn’t suggesting that you marry him. I was suggesting that you use it as a strength. Acting on it will help but even then it won’t go away completely. You’re always going to feel the need to protect him.”

“I wonder if Deaton has some kind of emissary mojo he could work.”

“Don’t do that. As uncomfortable as it may be for both of you, the truth of the matter is that this is a positive thing. Some werewolves go their entire lives without ever finding a worthwhile mate. If the two of you decide to act on this then you’ll most likely thrive. I don’t know how it all works and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some kind of weird magic involved with it all. The point is that this is a normal thing to be going through.”

Stiles watched him as he talked about it. He found himself wondering if he’d ever felt that way toward someone because the way he talked made it sound like he had first hand experience. “This is none of my business, but have you ever felt like this toward someone?”

“Once,” Derek answered. “Her name was Paige. She was human and we met in high school. It’s a complicated story and I don’t want to get into it.”

“No problem. I’m sorry to pry.”

“She died,” Derek explained quicklky, like he was spitting it out before he could change his mind. “Peter knew a werewolf and talked me into having him give her the bite so that we could be together. The bite didn’t take and I took her life to end her misery. That’s how I got the blue eyes.”

“Wow. I’m sorry, Derek.”

“There is one thing that might help,” Derek remembered. 

Stiles felt hopeful. “I’m open to anything, man. I think I could have killed my own father if it meant keeping Jackson safe.”

“My mother told me a story about a couple of potential mates when I was a young boy. She said that they went on a hunt for some kind of prized stone that was only found in Brazil. It had the power to help them overcome their feelings.”

Stiles didn’t want to overcome his feelings for Jackson. He wanted to embrace them, to feel the werewolf’s skin on his and…Derek was staring. “Yeah. That might work.”

“It’s called ametrine. I’m pretty sure you can buy it online. You should get a few and give one to Jackson as a gift. It might help.”

Stiles narrowed his eyes once he caught on to the way Derek’s heartbeat increased and gave away his lie. He glared at the alpha. “You’re making this up, aren’t you?”

Derek looked ambivalent that the truth had been discovered. “I’m going to miss being able to pull your leg. Yes, it’s a story based on an old fable. The gemstone is real enough but it doesn’t have any special powers over potential mates and the way they feel about each other. The point of the story was that they spent all that time together looking for this magic stone that they finally accepted their feelings and spent the rest of their lives together. They had a handful of children and so on.”

“Lovely.”

“Stiles, you would feel the same way about any mate. It’s what happens when you love someone so deeply that you would give anything, even your own life, to protect them.”

“Jackson and I aren’t in love,” he replied.

“Not yet, but you know that’s where this is heading.”

“So that’s all there is to it? We’re slaves to biology and we don’t get any choice in who we end up with?”

“That’s not it at all. Of course you get a choice. The point is that a potential mate is already the perfect choice.”

Stiles turned away from Derek. “Have you met the guy? You know how much of a self-obsessed jerk he can be. It’s not like he did anything to make my high school experience a better one. And let’s not forget those times he paralyzed one or both of us with his stupid kanima tail.”

Derek dismissed his points. “That was Matt and Gerard. That’s not on him.”

“He gave me one of his hoodies and I can’t stop smelling it. I was wearing it on the way over but I took it off before I came in.”

Derek looked at Stiles. “I can tell. You still smell like him. Hey, how did you get here? Isn’t your jeep still out of commission?”

“The insurance gave me a rental car to use while it gets repaired. They’re covering all the expenses because there’s a police report. My dad and I only committed a little bit of fraud to make it possible, so I’m taking it as the universe apologizing for all the crazy stuff that I’ve been through lately.”

“You should keep training with Scott. You’re going to need it before you take on my betas,” Derek boasted.

“Yeah, sure. Make sure Isaac isn’t wearing a scarf that day or I’ll strangle him with it.”

“Dream on!” A voice yelled from upstairs. Stiles looked up at the ceiling and he sighed. It was only now that his ears picked up on the three other heartbeats up there. “Your pack is here?”

Derek nodded. “Yeah, you didn’t know?”

Stiles shook his head. “I think my werewolf hearing is faulty. At least I got the new photographic memory to balance it all out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jackson mentioned an old birthday party to me earlier today and my memory was suddenly so clear. I could recall it perfectly and even described what Jackson had been wearing. What’s weird is that it was his seventh birthday party.”

“And you didn’t have this before?”

“No, I definitely would have noticed it. Why?”

Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest and he turned to look at Stiles. “I have a theory. We need to go see Deaton.”

“What? Now? The clinic is probably about to close.”

“We’ll call him on the way and ask him to wait for us. You drive.”

Stiles relented. “What about your betas? Do you need to find a babysitter?”

Derek ignored the dig at his betas and he led the way to the door. “Someone come and lock the door and reset the alarm. Call if you have any trouble,” he said to them knowing that their hearing would easily pick up his words.

Stiles put on Jackson’s hoodie before he started driving and ignored the amused look that Derek gave him. Derek called Deaton and asked him to stay a few minutes late because there was something important they needed to discuss.

  


* * *

  


Deaton looked tired when they arrived, but the request didn’t seem to upset him.

“What can I help you gentlemen with?”

“Stiles suddenly has a photographic memory,” Derek explained. “I remember hearing stories about zeta werewolves, but I always thought they were myths.”

Stiles thought back and his now near perfect memory confirmed that he’d never come across the term in any of his research. He waited patiently for Deaton to respond. The veterinarian was suddenly alive with activity as he retreated to his office. He came back with an open jar of mountain ash. 

“Stiles, you said that there was a mountain ash barrier that Marin had to remove so that you could escape. Did you ever actually try to cross it?”

“No,” Stiles admitted. “I tried to wave it away but Jackson was the one that was repelled by the barrier. Why?”

“I’d like to try something with your permission.”

“I guess.”

Deaton tossed the contents of the jar toward Stiles and his free hand directed the ash into a perfect ring around him. Stiles felt the dampening effect of the ash almost immediately, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. Derek watched silently from the sidelines as Deaton nodded. “Attempt to step through.”

Stiles walked to the edge of the barrier and continued over the line without any problem. He felt the barrier as he crossed it but it only made his skin tingle slightly. Deaton and Derek shared a proud look at their discovery.

“So, what does that mean?” Stiles asked.

“Do you think that’s why they bit him?” Derek wondered. 

“Possibly,” Deaton said. “This is an interesting twist.”

“I sent my betas to watch the training session with Scott. He got angry at the way Scott was treating Jackson and he lost it on Scott. Stiles overpowered him and easily knocked him out.”

“I see.”

Stiles waved his hand in front of their faces. “Remember me? Would one of you care to explain this?”

Deaton looked him in the eyes. “My apologies. I just never thought I’d encounter a zeta werewolf.”

“A what?”

“You already know about alphas, betas, and omegas. There are a few other classifications that are pretty rare, zetas and true alphas being pretty close in numbers. They’re coveted in packs because their strength and agility can rival that of most alphas. They’re also incredibly strategic and are called upon to lead the pack in the alpha’s absence. They usually discover that they develop a photographic memory after the bite and they have this constant empathic connection to their packmates.”

“Are you pulling my leg again?” Stiles asked Derek.

The alpha shook his head. “You crossed a mountain ash barrier. Zetas and true alphas are the only werewolves that can accomplish it. They both have a strength of will that makes them almost immune to mountain ash and zetas also have an increased resistance to most forms of wolfsbane.”

“That could come in handy,” Stiles recognized. “So you think the alphas bit me because they knew I’d turn into one of these zeta werewolves?”

“It’s a possibility that we can’t ignore.”

Stiles immediately made the connection to Jackson. “That’s how I knew he was in trouble. It turned out he was only having a nightmare, but I thought he was in danger.”

Derek cleared his throat. “His connection to Jackson is strong. It would certainly explain it.”

Deaton looked between them and it was clear to both of them that he wasn’t understanding what they were trying to avoid saying. Stiles gave up and decided to just spit it out since half of the group already knew. “Jackson is my potential mate or whatever. Scott was holding his face in the dirt to motivate him and I pummeled my best friend.”

Deaton took in the information and smiled. “I see. I think this is promising news nonetheless.”

“Me and Jackson?”

“No, the fact that you’re a zeta. This means that you’ll be able to train much more quickly than a beta. It also means that the pack will need to take some extra precautious until you’ve learned to control yourself during the full moon.”

Stiles hoped that meant he wasn’t more likely to go on a murderous rampage. “I don’t like the way that sounds, Deaton.”

“It’s better to be safe rather than sorry. You have the strength to challenge an alpha and actually stand a chance of winning in a fight against one. If you were to lose control during the full moon...well, you could do a lot of harm to someone unable to defend themselves.”

Stiles took that in. “Okay. So, are you thinking a tranquilizer or some kind of magic sleeping potion?”

Deaton and Derek shared a laugh. It annoyed Stiles, but he wasn’t about to chastise them when they were trying to help him be better. “I’m afraid you overestimate the length of my abilities. If you’re immune to wolfsbane then you would likely also be immune to most sedatives and tranquilizers. I’m afraid physical restraints are the best option.”

Stiles accepted that. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“We’ll ease into it,” Derek promised. “Thanks for letting us stop by, Deaton. We’ll fill in everyone tomorrow.”

Deaton nodded. “Have a good evening.”

Derek and Stiles walked outside of the clinic and they heard the door lock behind them. They got into the rental car and Stiles started it up. It felt odd to be considered so powerful after living a life of mediocrity. He couldn’t imagine being as powerful as an alpha and it kind of scared him to think that he had that much potential inside of him. He pulled onto the road and made it to the stoplight next to sheriff’s station before he felt a heat in his chest that was all too familiar.

Derek, sensing something wrong, looked over at him. “What is it?”

Stiles’ eyes were glowing and his knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel. “They’re in danger.”

“Who?”

Stiles stepped on the gas and drove through the red light dodging another car in the process. “Call Scott and give him your address. You should also call Allison and Jackson.”

He was going thirty over the speed limit and he continued to increase speed to get there as quickly as possible. He hoped his new werewolf reflexes would kick in to keep them from getting killed in a car accident on the way, but Derek’s betas needed him and he couldn’t risk slowing down. Having a conversation with his father about how he managed to wreck a rental car was not at the top of his to-do list and so he said a little prayer as he drove. All he wanted to do was get to Derek’s loft and protect the betas. As much of he hated to admit it, he thought of all of them as his pack. He didn’t know what that would mean for Scott and in that moment he didn’t really care.

They arrived not long after Derek hung up with Chris Argent. Allison was out at a movie with Lydia and she’d asked him to also call her father and let him know to meet them there. Derek wasn’t sure he wanted the Argents in his new loft, but the safety of his betas was the priority. They climbed twelve stories by using the stairs instead of waiting for the slow elevator. Stiles was pretty sure he parked in one of the handicapped parking spaces, but it wasn’t like anyone needed to use it since Derek was the owner of the building.

Derek and Stiles found the loft door open and they ran inside. The scent of blood immediately hit them and all three betas were on the floor. Stiles breathed a sigh of relief when he heard all of their heartbeats and heard groans coming from each them. Then the scent of wolfsbane hit them and Derek started coughing before he lost his balance. Stiles watched as the four of them started to feel the effects of the wolfsbane.

Stiles moved swiftly and carried all four of them into the hallway in three trips. He closed the door to the loft after opening the double doors on the balcony to allow the fumes to air out. When he got back to the hallway, the betas and Derek were all looking up at him. 

“What happened?” Stiles asked.

“The alphas attacked not too long after you left. They were looking for Stiles. They wanted him back.”

“Jackson!” Stiles spit out, his mind full of worry. He knew he wouldn’t survive it if they took Jackson captive again.

“Stiles, he’s okay. I called him, remember? He’s on his way here.”

Stiles felt his worry start to abate and he sat down on the floor across from the betas. He looked to Isaac as he continued the story.

“We fought with them and it was pretty clear that they were going to kill all of us. Erica came up with the bright idea of using one of the wolfsbane grenades that Allison gave us when she came over earlier to apologize.”

“It worked. The alphas cleared out of there and it saved us. It would have killed us eventually if you guys hadn’t of come back. How is it that Stiles wasn’t affected by the wolfsbane and we were?” Erica asked.

“We’ll go into that once everyone is here,” Derek said. “I’m glad you’re all okay.”

“How long ago did the alphas leave?” Stiles asked.

“Maybe five minutes before you got here.”

“We should go downstairs and wait for the others,” Stiles said. “In case they stuck around to try and ambush the others as they arrive.”

They stood up and crowded into the elevator after waiting four minutes for the car to arrive. It took another three minutes for it to descend to the ground floor. “The repair crew is coming next week to get it up to code,” Derek explained.

“At least the cable didn’t snap and drop us all to our deaths,” Boyd muttered, finding the one positive in their current situation.

They walked outside and were relieved to see that the alphas didn’t bother to stick around. Allison and Lydia arrived first since the movie theater was the closest. They both hugged Stiles and Allison grabbed an emergency supply of bottled water from the trunk of her car and handed them out.

“Thanks, Allison,” Erica said.

“I’m glad you’re all okay,” Allison replied.

Scott arrived about five minutes later and was surprised to come upon the group in a fit of laughter as Lydia and Allison described the drunk couple at the movie theater. “I thought someone was actually dying. I broke the speed limit!” Scott said.

“They almost did die, Scott.”

“How did you know we were in trouble?” Isaac asked Derek. 

Derek pointed to Stiles and figured it was as good a time as any. Stiles wondered if he should probably tell Jackson himself, not that he was afraid of someone else telling him first. Derek put his hand on Stiles’ shoulder as he started to explain. “He sensed that you were in danger. It turns out that Stiles isn’t a beta at all. He’s a zeta.”

“What’s that?” Scott inquired.

“I’ve read about them in some of my mother’s journals,” Allison began. Her eyes were on Stiles and she looked more proud than terrified of his potential. “It makes sense. They’re extremely methodical and good at strategy and planning. They also have some kind of empathic tether to the pack, right?”

“That’s what Deaton said. Derek and I just came from there. I crossed over a line of mountain ash like it was nothing.”

“Does this mean the alpha pack is trying to take you from us?” Scott asked. There was worry in his voice. 

“We won’t let that happen,” Lydia said. 

“She might change her mind when she finds out about Stiles and Jac…never mind.” Derek had quieted Erica down with one look.

Lydia looked at Erica and then turned to Stiles for an explanation. Stiles felt a little guilty even though it wasn’t exactly his fault. “Um, let’s take a walk.”

Lydia and Stiles headed back toward the street so that they were in view of the others but out of hearing range. Before they got too far, Erica said something that gave him a little concern. “Howl if you need us.” He hoped Lydia wouldn’t completely freak out, but it was probably better to do this before Jackson got there.

“What are you and Jackson keeping from me?” Lydia asked.

“It turns out that we’re potential mates. We have feelings for each other.”

“I see,” she said curtly. Her hands were rubbing her shoulders for added warmth even though it wasn’t too cold outside. “That’s all?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that enough?”

“I’m not exactly thrilled about it, Stiles, but it’s not like I have a right to say what he does. Jackson and I are over and he can do whatever he wants. Besides, I’ve always suspected that he was attracted to guys and this just confirms my initial suspicions.”

Stiles looked at her. “Okay, but you still sound mad.”

She took a beat before nodding. “I guess I was under the impression that he was going to come crawling back to me and apologize for how he treated me. We have a history and there are still feelings involved. But I want the two of you to be happy and it’s not like I’m gonna stand in your way. I might have a year ago, but I’m not that person anymore.”

“I’m glad. You can do so much better than either of us,” Stiles admitted. “I know you brought cookies to Parrish at the station last week. He told me when I stopped by to see my dad.”

Blush stained her cheeks. “You know about that?”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah. He seems like a good guy. You’re almost eighteen. I don’t think anyone would see anything wrong there.”

“Thanks, Stiles. It’s way too early to be thinking about that though. I mean, I haven’t even told Allison about him yet. He’s probably not even interested. He could date an actual woman with a career, someone that could give him a family.”

Stiles laughed. It wasn’t common to see Lydia Martin acting so idiot and he made a note to cherish it, hopeful that his new photographic memory would help document this time for posterity. “He’s interested. I was a human and even I could tell he was interested.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You want me to give you his number?”

She thought about it for a moment and shook her head. “No, I’ll get it the old fashioned way. Thanks, Stiles.”

“Thank you for being so cool about whatever it is that’s happening between Jackson and I. Uh, we should get back before he sees us talking and speeds off in the other direction.”

She laughed. “Good idea. You know, he left me stranded at the mall once because he got tired of waiting for me to shop.”

“What a jackass.”

“He’s a great kisser though. You’ll see.”

“Maybe,” he replied. He hoped there was a lot of that in his future. 

They rejoined the group and waited for Chris Argent and Jackson to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ideas for zetas came from a wiki website that I stumbled upon while doing some research for this story. I loved the idea and I totally stole it. The only thing that I changed was that it made no sense to me to call a zeta a zeta if they were still considered a beta, so I made them into their own classification. I toyed with renaming the zetas and calling them prime betas, but I didn't want to do that since it wasn't my own idea. Also, it kind of reminded me of a steak made out of werewolves and that grossed me out. (http://teenwolffanon.wikia.com/wiki/Zeta_Werewolves)
> 
> I'm still debating whether or not Scott is still going to reach his true alpha status now that the universe that led to his transformation has changed, so I included those lines about true alphas into the story to lay the groundwork in case I do.


	9. It's Not A Real Party Until Someone Breaks Out The Chains And Suggests Bondage As A Group Activity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles' first full moon arrives as a potential threat could be preparing to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just spent the last three hours re-writing the rest of the chapters after doing so editing. I've also started writing the next story in the series and I had to make a few minor adjustments since that one is going off in a direction that I hadn't intended on.

Stiles eyed the chains suspiciously. His hand picked up the collar that Scott quickly took away from him. “Careful! That one has spikes that come out if you move it around too much.”

“Excuse me? What the hell?” Stiles asked.

“The pain helps us stay focused, grounded. It’s only if you try to break out. It gives you a sharp hit of pain to pull you back to your senses.”

Stiles looked at his best friend. They were in the basement of the McCall house. Melissa was upstairs cooking food for the pack to snack on since everyone was planning to come over and take turns checking on Stiles. There was also the added threat of a potential alpha pack assault and the new flooring made from mountain ash was sure to give a bit of added protection. Stiles could feel the buzz from the flooring even downstairs, not that it would affect him. 

“I really wish there was some kind of sedative I could take. Just sleep right through the full moon and wake up tomorrow all wide-eyed and bushy tailed.”

Scott sorted out one of the weaker links of chain from the pile sitting between them. They looked strong enough to contain an elephant and Stiles found it difficult to believe that he’d be able to break even one of them, werewolf or not. “The whole point is that you learn to control yourself during the full moon. Sleeping through it isn’t going to help you accomplish that, Stiles.”

Stiles reminded himself that his best friend was right. It wasn’t like he could knock himself out whenever there was a full moon. He needed to learn control as quickly as possible and this was only the first step in a long journey. “I know. I get it. It’s just that my life is suddenly a lot more complicated.”

“I’m sorry, man,” Scott told him.

Stiles looked at the puppy dog eyes in his general direction. “This isn’t your fault, Scotty.”

“Isn’t it? You would never be in these dangerous situations if it weren’t for me being a werewolf.”

Stiles laughed. “How easily you forget that I was the one that dragged you into the preserve to find a dead body. If anyone is responsible for this it’s me.”

“You’re right,” Scott said.

Stiles pushed him and Scott managed to remain upright. He beamed at Stiles and his control even though they knew it wasn’t really anything to be praised. The true test would come when the moon started to rise. They only had a few hours until that happened. 

“Well, the good news is that Allison is bringing the wolfsbane tranquilizer darts. The unfortunate news is that they probably won’t do anything except piss me off.”

Scott nodded and he thought about the potential of what Stiles could accomplish when he wasn’t thinking in his right mind. “Yeah, I’m gonna go get some more chains.”

Stiles reached out to stop him. “How are you and Allison dong?”

Scott shrugged. “Who knows? We barely speak and it’s awkward when we do. It’s clear that we both still love each other. Those feelings don’t just go away.”

“You know she apologized to me the other night? We hugged it out like friends do.”

“Really? I’m glad,” Scott said. “The hug didn’t linger or anything, right?”

Stiles knew the beta was joking. “There was some mild groping but nothing you wouldn’t have approved of.”

“Dork.”

“Dumbass.”

“At least I’m not the one crushing over Jackson Whittemore,” Scott countered. The look on his face confirmed that he thought he’d won.

Stiles exhaled loudly. “Shut up, man. You know that’s a touchy subject right now.”

“Sorry,” Scott said. “It’ll work out. Danny said he’s a really good kisser so you have that to look forward to.”

Stiles stared at him. “He kissed Danny?”

“It’s okay. It was just practice kissing in the fifth grade.”

Stiles felt cheated. “We never practice kissed!”

“Yeah, because I’m not into guys. I would have practice kissed with any girl that asked back then.”

“You are…I can’t think of an adequate word to describe just how weird you are.”

Scott smirked. “Be nice to me or I’ll let Erica come downstairs alone and taunt you all night.”

“Even you are not that cruel, Scotty.”

Scott had to admit that he was accurate. “Lucky for you. Come on. Let’s go help my mom finish up the cooking and steal bites when she isn’t looking.”

“My dad said he’s coming over after work. He’s bringing burgers and whatever else he can find at the grocery store on his way over. At least we aren’t gonna starve.”

“You got that right.”  


  


* * *

  


  
Stiles was on edge. It was barely ten o’clock at night and he could feel the pull of the full moon strongly. It was completely opposite to the way he’d thought it would work. After doing many hours of research ever since Scott had gotten the bite, Stiles had thought he had a handle on the basics of being a werewolf. The moon felt like a magnet trying to rip the werewolf out of him. It wasn’t a positive experience and he cursed himself for ever thinking it could be. 

Every sense was heightened and he could hear, smell, and feel the pack upstairs as though they were all crowded around him and in his personal space. Normally that would be okay, but having people in close proximity when you’re already annoyed is never a good thing. Derek and Boyd were seated in chairs on the other side of the basement and watching him. News that he was a zeta meant they all had to be more cautious until he learned how to control his shift. Stiles’ claws were swiping at the chains and leaving tiny cuts on his arms that healed quickly.

There was no longer any sign of the bite that had turned him.

“You’re doing well, Stiles,” Derek said. “Just keep repeating the mantra.”

“Shove it,” Stiles answered angrily, his mouth a mess of fangs that didn’t quite seem to fit. He could smell the blood coursing through their bodies and he found himself wondering what it would taste like on his tongue. He was still himself, but there was another part of him that was there too, more violent and animalistic. He finally understood why there were hunters.

“Sorry,” he said after a minute of calming himself down. He knew it was just a matter of time before the pain started up again and the insults and foul language returned. Boyd chuckled from the sidelines, but he understood what Stiles was going through. It wasn’t that long ago that he went through the same thing.

Derek’s betas were pros when it came to the full moon and Stiles knew that it had to do with Derek’s influence. The alpha, despite some of his bad qualities and poor leadership decisions, had given them enough information to acclimate to their lives as werewolves. It almost seemed impossible to Stiles that he’d be able to catch up to their level of control, zeta werewolf or not. 

“This is like a special form of torture,” Stiles told them. “When I get my hands on those damn alphas, I’m going to peel the skin off their flesh and…was that the microwave timer going off? I’m so hungry, guys.”

“You just ate two hamburgers,” Derek reminded him.

“That was an hour ago.”

“Great. They bite the human and we get a werewolf who’s superpower is gluttony,” Boyd noted. “That’s really going to make us formidable opponents.”

“Don’t forget the part about being immune to mountain ash. You gotta admit that’s pretty handy,” Stiles noted.

“I don’t have to do anything unless my alpha tells me to,” Boyd responded.

“Good answer.” Derek patted his beta on the shoulder and handed him one of the cookies that Scott’s mom had brought down along with Stiles’ dinner. They weren’t sharing with Stiles and that was making him angry, not that he needed justification to feel the way he felt.

“This blows! I want to be upstairs with the party, not in the dungeon with Beacon Hills’ most boring residents.” There was laughter from upstairs because they heard what Stiles said and everyone knew it was true. Stiles gave them both a _told-you-so_ look before he started growling as the pain moved throughout his body. It started in his solar plexus and expanded out like an electric current.

“It could be worse. You could be stuck down here with you,” Derek replied. More laughter rang out upstairs.

Stiles’ hands wrapped around the chains and he pulled. They started to give a little but then he came back to his senses and quit trying to escape, his thoughts temporarily shifting from staining his claws with the blood and flesh of their throats. “How long have werewolves been around for? Someone should have figured out a better solution to this full moon business. I’m writing a letter of complaint to the Ministry of Magic in the morning.”

Derek eyed him suspiciously as if he was trying to determine whether or not Stiles had had a break from reality. “Stiles, wizards aren’t real. The Ministry of Magic doesn’t exist.”

“That’s what they want you to believe, buddy. Keep accepting the lies as they pull wool over your eyes. That totally rhymed. Why the hell do I smell apricots?!”

“I can’t figure out which version of Stiles I like the least. Drunk Stiles or Full Moon Stiles,” Boyd commented.

“They’re all pretty awful,” Derek agreed.

Stiles scowled at them. “I’m totally leaving you at the bottom of the pool next time.”

The pain intensified tenfold and Stiles raged against the chains holding him in place. The collar activated and sent six spikes a few millimeters into his neck, but they had the opposite result than what were designed for. Instead of bringing him to his senses, they had the unfortunate result of infuriating him even more. His left foot pressed against the wall for leverage and the chains began to creak as they were put under too much stress. Derek and Boyd jumped to their feet, but it was too late. The chains collapsed around Stiles and the zeta was free.

“How the hell did he do that?” Boyd wondered as they tried to corner him.

Stiles had read too many studies on battle strategies to fall for such a simple ploy, but he knew the best way to defeat his enemy was to make them think they were winning before turning the tables on them. He backed into the corner and then leapt forward knocking Boyd to the ground. Derek growled his alpha growl and Stiles gave a growl right back with his own yellow eyes as he refused to give in to the alpha’s authority. His claws dug into Boyd’s neck and then he stood and moved toward Derek.

Boyd was in the process of healing from the deep cuts. His esophagus was exposed and the skin was splayed open like a fish. They damage hadn’t been intended to be fatal, but they were severe enough that wasn’t able to come to Derek’s defense until he healed. Derek swung and cut three long strips into the side of Stiles’ face. Stiles swiped back and tore three large gashes into Derek’s chest as he backed him into the support beam for the basement. Derek was trapped.

“We could use some help down here,” Derek said through a jumble of fangs. He dodged a blow from Stiles that left five large claw marks into the support beam. Stiles had already recovered and was preparing another attack.

Scott and Isaac were there before Stiles knew what happened. They had him by the shoulders and were pushing him back toward the broken chains. “He did this himself?” Isaac asked, surprised by the strength he was witnessing from someone that looked so fragile. 

“Yeah,” Derek reported. He kneeled next to Boyd and saw that he was okay. “He’s still aware of what he’s doing. He could have killed Boyd, but he didn’t.”

“Lucky for him,” Erica said. She was the next werewolf to enter the basement. She started sorting through the chains to find one that would work. She found the collar and decided to place it back around his neck. Derek quickly vetoed that idea.

“We’ve got to figure out something else. He’s too strong for the chains and mountain ash is useless.”

Scott and Derek shared a look before Scott abruptly turned to Erica. “Get Jackson.”

“I think he went outside to call his parents.”

“Now, Erica,” Derek ordered. Stiles was gaining the upper hand over the two betas that were attempting to hold him still. Erica ran upstairs as Stiles elbowed Isaac in the ribcage. The pain of multiple ribs breaking from the stress sent Isaac down to his knees. Without the added strength, Scott had no hope of containing Stiles by himself. Stiles growled in Scott’s face before tossing him into Derek like a puppet. 

He started running for the stairs, but he came to a complete stop when Jackson began to descend them. “Hey, Stiles,” Jackson said calmly. His tone was meant to be soothing. “You’re right. We shouldn’t have left you alone with these guys. Anyone in their right mind would try to escape.”

Stiles swallowed. “Jackson?” The yellow in his eyes receded. 

“How about we split one of those cookies? They smell really good.”

“You smell better,” Stiles told him, not caring that other people were listening.

He followed Jackson to the chairs that Derek and Boyd had been sitting in. They took a seat and split the cookie. After a moment, Stiles looked around at the chaos he had caused, the spark back in his eyes. Derek was kneeling over Boyd and applying pressure as he healed. Isaac was breathing funny because one of the ribs had punctured his lung. He was in the process of adjusting it so that it would heal properly. Scott looked up from his position on the floor and he was absolutely exhausted. Erica was simply dumbfounded.

“No more chains,” Stiles told them. “They make me angry.”

“I’ll stay as long as you need,” Jackson told him.

Erica bent down and gave Boyd a kiss on the lips before turning to her alpha. “How the hell did he do all this after only one training session with McCall?”

“Let’s never speak of this moment,” Boyd announced, his pride slightly wounded.

Stiles smiled as Jackson split another cookie with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zeta!Stiles is a total badass. He and Jackson act as a calming force and that's how he was able to suddenly return to his senses and get through the rest of the night without incident. Don't worry, this is only his first full moon and it will be touched on in the next story in this series. I couldn't think of a really clever title for this chapter and I went with the only thing I could think of.
> 
> Leave a comment suggesting something better!


	10. Your Clothes Make People Notice You For All Of The Wrong Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alpha pack reaches out to open communication channels.

The rest of the weekend was uneventful. The alphas didn’t end up attacking the night of the full moon and the party hadn’t been necessary even though it provided an opportunity for the pack to have a little fun and de-stress in one place. Stiles slept most of the following day because he was exhausted. He texted every single member of the pack and thanked them for their help in keeping him from hurting anyone. He included Allison and Chris Argent in the text even though they were only there for a few hours. 

The rest of his Monday holiday was spent lounging at home and exchanging texts. He finally completed the hour and a half of homework that Lydia was kind enough to inform him of since he hadn’t been at school to get it himself, and he made a plan to get the rest of his assignments that he missed while he was in captivity. He slept again that night and woke up twenty-five minutes before his alarm. 

He took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to make breakfast. His father descended the stairs a half hour later and took full advantage of the eggs and regular bacon that he had been served. He split the 4 cup pot of coffee with Stiles before they headed off to school and work at the same time for once. Stiles was nervous about going back to school as a werewolf. He knew he could rely on his friends if he needed the support, but that didn’t mean they could make the bad smells go away.

He found that everyone was staring at him from the time it took him to park until he got to the cafeteria and met up with the others. “Everyone keeps staring. They must have heard about the sex trafficking story that my father’s been spinning.”

Erica smirked. “They probably just noticed that you’re really hot now.”

“Excuse me?” He was dressed in the same clothes he always wore. Nothing had changed as far as he knew.

“You know what I mean. The same thing happened to me when I got the bite. Everyone suddenly started noticing me,” Erica explained. “Something about it just rejuvenates the skin and makes us shine a little bit brighter. Like, you walked in here with confidence. I’ve never seen that before.”

“I did?” He asked.

Everyone around the table nodded. Stiles smiled at the revelation. There was certainly nothing with having a little extra self-confidence, he thought. Jackson approached the table and he kicked his backpack underneath the seat before he sat down. His eyes were glued to Stiles and his pupils were blown.

“Are you okay?” Stiles asked him.

“Um, I’m fine. You look…different.”

“I slept pretty much all day yesterday. I’m glad you’re all still talking to me after everything that went down in the basement.”

“Dude, you’ve seen all of us go through the same type of stuff,” Scott said.

“Remember when I I knocked you unconscious with a part I yanked from your jeep and tossed you into a dumpster? You’re forgiven if I am.”

Stiles wasn’t too happy with that memory, but he figured he could let it slide after he tried to use her boyfriend to sharpen his claws. Even Boyd was looking at him differently now that Stiles was a werewolf. “We’ll all start fresh. We actually have other things to worry about.”

“Did you finish all the homework I gave you?” Lydia asked, hoping to change the subject.

“It’s in my backpack. I’m gonna turn it and then get the other assignments from each of my classes. Thanks again for giving me a copy of your notes.”

“No problem,” she told him. “Remind me to show you…” 

Stiles could feel the tension move around the table. He noticed his friends were no longer looking at him. Their eyes were focused on something and he turned around to see what had grabbed their attention. The alpha twins were walking toward them with a matching smug look on both of their faces. Stiles prepared to fight even though he knew it wasn’t very likely that they would attack in public with so many witnesses. 

“Hey, Stiles,” Aiden began. “Good to see you again. And Jackson, your color has definitely improved.”

Jackson tensed up and he stared at them with hatred in his eyes. They werewolves in the room all heard the low growl that told them to back off. Scott also jumped to his feet and moved closer to Stiles and brushed their shoulders together to provide him some comfort and keep him from shifting in front of the entire cafeteria.

“What do you want?” Scott asked.

“Deucalion wants a meeting. Your group of misfits and our pack. Tonight at the parking lot where they hold the farmer’s market.”

“What time?” Allison asked.

Ethan looked at Stiles and then his eyes shifted to Allison. “Six o’clock. If you and your dad show up, try to keep your weapons holstered. It’s just a meeting to discuss the current situation. No blood will be spilled unless one of you throws the first punch.”

“Or shoots the first arrow,” Aiden said, his eyes also focused on Allison.

Ethan returned his gaze to Stiles and looked him up and down before he licked his lips. “You look good, Stiles. You really should be more selective about the kind of trash you surround yourself with.”

They turned on their heels and walked off. Everyone was silent and unsure of what to say. It was Lydia that spoke first, her eyes trained on Stiles. “That was weird. They seemed really focused on Stiles.”

Jackson nodded. “Too focused.”

“This meeting isn’t going to go well. You and Allison should stay home with Chris so that you’ll be safe,” Scott suggested. Allison crossed her arms in front of her chest and prepared to raise her voice as she explained that he had no right to tell her what she could and couldn’t do. 

“We’re going,” Lydia announced, her tone firm. “Allison and I will watch each other’s backs.”

Allison nodded. “We’re going to be there to back you up, my dad included.”

The first bell rang and everyone started collecting their things as the real world started to draw their focus. Stiles had to cover his ears because of how loud the bell was and he stared at the device on the wall like it was his new worst enemy. He was already thinking about how much he’d have to pay Danny to disable the whole system. 

Jackson grabbed his hand and kept him from leaving as the others began to walk toward the exit. Scott turned back and saw what was happening so he walked alone to the class that he shared with Stiles. Jackson released his hand as some of the other students were staring at them. They both knew that the rumors were going to be flying around the school before third period had even started

“What’s up?” Stiles asked.

“I just wanted to see how you are. You seem calm considering what just happened.”

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m a little mad that I didn’t get to hit them, but it’s probably better to save that for when there aren’t any witnesses around. Uh, are you doing anything after school before the meeting?”

Stiles shook his head. “No, I don’t have anything planned.”

“Meet me after school. I’m taking you shopping.”

Stiles shook his head. “No way. Going shopping with you would be almost as bad as going shopping with Lydia, not to mention that I’d spend all my savings on a couple of outfits.”

Jackson stared at him. “I know all about shopping on a budget. You’re a werewolf now and you need to dress like one. The clothes you’re wearing now make you look like you’re ten years old and you can’t wait to get home to read comic books in your treehouse.”

“What’s wrong with comic books?” Stiles asked.

“You’re hopelessly adorable,” Jackson confessed. “You need to dress your age if you’re going to be my boyfriend.”

Stiles froze. At first he thought he misheard what Jackson said, but the beta standing in front of him was blushing wildly. “Boyfriend?”

“Yeah. I mean, we should probably go on some dates, but I want to be able to call you my boyfriend. I mean, it makes sense considering we might die tonight.”

“Oh, so you wanna go out on top. I get it.”

Jackson smirked as he stepped into Stiles’ space. “I want to spend time with you. I’m not asking you to change who you are for me because I wouldn’t want that. Just meet me half way and try something new.”

Stiles relented because spending time with Jackson sounded like the kind of distraction they both needed before the meeting that they now had on their agenda. “Okay. I’ll meet you at your locker and you can take me wherever you want.”

“I like the sound of that. Now I just need to figure out how to explain all of this to Danny.”

Stiles knew that Danny was close to Jackson and keeping all these secrets from him must have really been difficult for their relationship. He could imagine the conversation clearly in his head. “Start by telling him about us.”

Jackson didn’t move a muscle. “Yeah, I’m starting to think he’s going to take the news about werewolves better than he’ll take the news that we’re together. He thinks you’re completely straight and he’s going to be convinced that I’m delusional.”

Stiles had the perfect solution in mind. “Tell him the sex traffickers made us do dirty things with each other on video. He’ll totally get it.”

“He’ll understand when he sees the new you.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “I’m exactly the same as I was before. As fun as this is, we’re gonna be late for class if we don’t start walking.”

“You talk like that’s a bad thing.”

“It is,” Stiles insisted. “Your parents want you to do well this semester or they’ll try to ship you off to London again.”

Jackson breathed in a ragged breath. “Fine. Let’s go.”

He managed to make it downstairs to his first class and had sat down in his seat next to Scott as the final bell rang. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he took it out and looked at the text message for a few seconds before the corners of his mouth twisted into a smile. _I miss you already. -J_

Stiles ignored the weird look he was getting from Scott. He slid the phone back into his pocket and prepared himself for his first real date. Their teacher was at the front of the class writing titles of a bunch of well known books on the blackboard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would you rather go clothes shopping with: Jackson or Lydia? I'd definitely pick Jackson even though they seem like they're two sides of the same coin in earlier seasons.


	11. I Should Get Custody Of Your Ex-Girlfriend If We Ever Get Divorced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Stackson shopping trip has arrived. Can you tell by the title who the special guest is gonna be?

“I’m not wearing those,” Stiles said, pointing to the skinny jeans that Jackson had picked out for him to take into the dressing room. “Or that,” he added, picking up the button up dress shirt and tossing it behind him without any care as to where it would land. It caused Jackson to smile and that was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

“I’ll split the difference. You can ditch the shirt if you at least try the jeans on. You don’t have to show me if you think they’re too tight.”

“Deal.”

Stiles took the stack of clothes into the fitting room after the female worker used the key on her wrist to open the door. She smiled and used the right amount of charm when she asked him if he needed anything else. He shot her down gently. 

Once inside, he separated the clothes into piles of things he’d never wear and things he’d wear only for Jackson. His head perked up when he heard Lydia’s voice outside as she started talking to her ex-boyfriend. Stiles didn’t want to eavesdrop, but he figured there wasn’t any harm in listening for a few minutes since they both knew he could easily hear them.

“What are you doing here?” Jackson asked her.

“Stiles told me you invited him to go shopping. I came to make sure you didn’t dress him like one of those boys at the boarding school you were being shipped off to.”

“You always said I had excellent taste in clothes. Besides, those types of guys turn you on.”

“You too, apparently,” she responded.

“I was going to talk to you and explain everything. It’s not my fault Erica said what she said and forced Stiles to do it when I wasn’t there. It wasn’t like I was purposefully keeping it from you.”

She laughed. “That’s exactly what you were doing. I saw the way you looked at Stiles that night I showed you your key and you went from kanima to werewolf. You knew then, right? I’m such an idiot.”

“Hey, you are not an idiot. None of this is your fault and I’m really sorry that this is something you have to go through, Lydia. But I feel the way I feel and Stiles and I can’t just ignore what’s happening.”

Lydia responded quickly. “I would hope not. If he’s going be your boyfriend then you’d better treat him a whole lot better than you did me. After all, his father is legally allowed to carry a gun.”

“Oh, so you came here to tell me to behave myself?”

“Don’t act like an idiot and you have nothing to worry about. Also, I feel I should remind you that he’s Scott’s best friend and Allison thinks very fondly of him. You wouldn’t want to do anything to piss off either one of them. Allison showed me some of the weapons in her personal collection and they all look pretty nasty.”

Jackson relaxed and Stiles could feel his boyfriend’s sense of calm surpass the tension he was feeling even from his spot in the dressing room. “Fair enough. I’ll be good to him,” he promised. Stiles could hear the sincerity in his words.

“Good. What are you doing in there, Stiles? Hurry up and show us these outfits,” she said. It snapped him out of his own thoughts and the conversation he’d been eavesdropping on.  
Stiles hurried and changed into the first outfit. He wasn’t even paying attention and grabbed the skinny jeans by accident. He walked out and was surprised that not only Lydia and Jackson were staring but that half the other shoppers in the store had also turned to stare. He immediately picked up on various scents, most of them focused on arousal and jealousy. The fitting room clerk was giving him her full attention although she was trying to pretend to work and keep it from being too obvious. 

“Is it too much?”

Lydia shook his head. “No. Buy a few pairs of those and never take them off.”

“I’ll take them off any time you want,” Jackson offered, a sly smirk on his face.

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Well, you seem to be in adequate hands. See you tonight at the meeting of the Sharks and the Jets.”

“Thanks, Lydia,” Stiles told her.

She waved before she retreated to wherever she had been before she tracked them down. Jackson looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “You knew that was going to happen when you told her I was bringing you here. Admit it.”

Stiles played dumb. “I had no idea she would show up and say those things.”

Jackson wasn’t buying it. “I guess it was good practice for the talk that your dad is going to be giving me once he finds out we’re together.”

“Oh, that’s a given.”

Jackson laughed. “Well, you haven’t met my mother yet. If you thought Allison’s mom could be scary…”

The smile on Stiles’ face immediately fell away. “Are you serious? I wasn’t listening to your heartbeat and I can’t tell if you’re serious.”

“You’ll find out when you meet her. Now get back in there and try on another outfit. All of these middle aged women are getting too turned on at the sight of you.”

Stiles accepted the compliment and retreated to the fitting room. He caught a look at himself in the mirror and he had to admit that he did look good. He liked the reaction everyone had to the pants, especially Jackson, but they weren’t really fit for a werewolf that might have to defend himself at a moment’s notice. He still tossed them into the buy pile anyway.

They went through three more outfits and Stiles spent over eighty dollars buying half of the clothes that Jackson had picked out. “Everyone is going to freak tomorrow when I show up in my new outfit.”

Jackson agreed. “Especially if you wear those skinny jeans. I noticed that you ended up buying them.”

“I liked the way the made you drool uncontrollably. No one else is ever going to see me in them, buddy.”

“Sounds good to me. I don’t need any competition.”

“Like anyone else would stand a chance against you,” Stiles responded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hesitant to include Lydia in this chapter but my brain kept telling me to go there. I eventually gave in and it turned out that she said some things that needed to be said. Also, I really want to see Stiles in those jeans.


	12. It Never Hurts To Bring IEDs To A Gun Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Scott come together to form a plan as the meeting with the alphas arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story turned out longer than the 11 chapters I started with. You can blame it all on rewrites during the editing process, but I think it filled in some holes that needed to be patched. I hope you're enjoying where you've been and decide to hang in for the rest of the story.

Stiles looked at the image from google maps that Scott had printed off of his computer. It was time to plan their strategy since their meeting with the alphas was in less than an hour. Stiles circled all of the exits for the parking lot with a red sharpie. He switched that one out for a blue one and used that to highlight businesses that would likely have people in them. The plan was for them to run to one of those buildings if things got crazy because there was less of a chance that they would be followed and attacked with humans around.

Derek used his index finger to point at the center of the parking lot. “We should plan to meet there and be on this side. That means they would only have one viable exit. The alley is a dead end.”

“Good idea,” Stiles agreed, using purple to draw arrows to show the possible escape routes that the alphas might take. “Shoot, I should have used red for that ‘cause it would’ve matched their eyes.”

“Colors aren’t that important,” Scott reminded him. “What’s important is that we figure out a way to survive this.”

Stiles was prepared to protest the importance of his color coding system, but he felt Jackson’s presence next to him and he lost all train of thought. Lydia was on the other side of the table next to Derek. “Allison and her father are going to be here and here,” she said as she pointed to two elevated positions. “He’ll have a rifle with wolfsbane bullets and she’ll have arrows coated in some of the kanima venom that we grabbed from Jackson’s last attack.”

Jackson squirmed at the mention of his name and past misdeeds. Stiles instinctively reached out and took his hand. No one said anything but Stiles was certain they had all noticed. He considered it a win that Jackson didn’t jerk his hand away and storm off. “We need some midfielders that can jump between joining the fight on our level or staying back to lend support to the Argents.”

Derek nodded. “Isaac and Erica can do that. Boyd would be good to watch Lydia’s back since she insists on coming to a showdown against alphas with no way to protect herself.”

Lydia ignored the dig because she knew Derek was trying to get her to see reason in order to protect her. They’d come a long way since she drugged him and used him to resurrect his dead uncle. “I can take care of myself, thank you, but having Boyd as backup would be appreciated.”

Stiles looked to Scott. “Has Deaton called you?”

“No, why?”

“I thought maybe Ms. Morrell might have reached out to him and given him some intel. They might not have told her we’re even meeting. I wish she’d just ditch them and come back to our side.”

“Assuming she is on our side,” Derek noted. “We have to consider the possibility that she’s been feeding Deaton useless information to make him think that she can be trusted.”

“I trust her. She helped Jackson and I escape the warehouse that we were being held in.”

“Maybe that’s what she was told to make you believe,” Scott suggested. 

Stiles was preparing to come to her defense when Jackson spoke first. “She had plenty of opportunities to give up information on all of you and she never did. There was a reason that the alpha pack had to grab me. They had to get information because she wasn’t giving it to them.”

They all thought about his words and accepted that he had a point. “Okay, we’ll extract her if it’s a possibility,” Derek offered.

“We sound so badass right now,” Stiles interjected. “If I’d of had more time to plan I totally would have made up matching t-shirts for all of us to wear.”

“Yeah, but then they’d have to kill us on principle,” Jackson joked.

Lydia gave him a high five as Scott folded up the map they had been using to plan. “We should get there a little early so there’s less chance that they ambush us.”

“I’ll fill in Allison and her father,” Lydia offered.

“And I’ll give out the assignments to my betas,” Derek said.

Stiles nodded at Scott. He knew they would be alright as long as they all stuck together. He was hopeful that the douche twins were going to be true to their word and the meeting was only going to involve talking. After what they’d been through with Peter and Gerard, they all needed fate to swoop in and give them a break. A peace treaty would be the perfect end to their conflict.

He was a little worried about his abilities and he knew that he would be on edge with the rest of the group feeling the same way. He could already feel it starting to begin, like distant extremities becoming numb and starting to tickle from being asleep in the same position for too long.

“What is it?” Jackson asked him.

“Everyone’s apprehensive. I can feel it.”

“What about me?”

Stiles looked at him. “You’re really calm. How is that even possible?”

Jackson reached out and pulled a stray fiber from his shirt. He let it fall to the ground without even giving it a thought. “I have no idea. I should be terrified because this is my first fight as a werewolf, but I have faith in all of us. If you tell McCall I said that then I will immediately break up with you.”

Stiles chuckled. “I can keep my mouth shut.”

“Yeah, sure you can,” Jackson joked.

“Thanks for taking me shopping today.”

Jackson blushed slightly from the compliment. He looked stronger than Stiles remembered, more sure of himself. He’d changed in the month he’d been gone but the core of who he was had remained the same. He knew that part of Jackson was a good person and he was happy that his boyfriend had found that part of himself again. Stiles inhaled his scent and felt the calm start to wash over him. “Let’s do this.”

  


* * *

  


They had plenty of illumination from the street lamps and lights of nearby businesses. Everything was going according to plan except for the one thing no one bothered to look into. It was pouring down rain and didn’t seem to be showing any signs of weakening in the foreseeable future. “You think they’ll still show?” Scott asked.

“I doubt they’re afraid of a little rain,” Derek answered. “We’ll find out soon.”

The pack arrived early enough to take the position they wanted and there were no signs that an ambush had been prepared ahead of time. Stiles knew it was wise to still be cautious. The werewolves all heard the vehicles approaching at the same time and they saw the two SUVs enter the lot and park in the spaces furthest from where they were standing.

The doors opened and people began to exit. Ms. Morrell was leading Deucalion around on her arm and he still had his cane bouncing back and forth against the pavement. Stiles knew it was a ruse almost immediately. It was meant to make him seem less threatening, but Stiles was well aware that he must be a force to be reckoned with to survive going up against Gerard Argent.

He looked at Scott and Derek. They had a couple of forces on their side as well. His eyes moved back to Ms. Morrell. She looked relaxed and relatively calm given the situation. That was when Ennis appeared. Stiles had the urge to rush over there and rip the guy’s spine out. He was wearing the same clothes that he’d been in when he gave Stiles the bite and he was certain that his scent would still be on them. 

The twins stood next to each other. Kali was the final piece of the puzzle. She came last and stood on the other side of Deucalion. Deaton had given the pack their names and some of Derek’s contacts had told them snippets of information, but mostly it consisted of the equivalent of stay out of their line of sight. Kali’s eyes scanned Scott and the rest of the pack as she selected her targets without giving Stiles any attention. He wondered what that meant, if anything, and he began to see all of the game pieces on the board.

She smirked like she had all the confidence in the world. Her shoes and socks were absent so that she could the long claws on her feet to strike and parry an attack. They were as capable as the weapons at the ends of her fingers and Stiles hoped the others could see that they all needed to be cautious with her. She had the spunk of kick boxer and would likely strike in whatever manner gave her the most potential to inflict damage on her opponent. 

Stiles was relieved to see that Peter Hale wasn’t standing among them. That was one thing they had going for them and something that his side didn’t have to be concerned about.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Deucalion began. “There’s no need for any more violence between us.”

They agreed beforehand that Derek would do all the talking. It would make them look weak if any of the others spoke and they wanted to present a unified front. “You know the way out of town.”

Deucalion released his hold on Ms. Morrell’s arm and placed both hands on the cane in front of his body. “Oh, we’re not going anywhere. We’ve decided to make Beacon Hills our home.”

“This is Hale territory.”

“You and your uncle are the only ones left,” Kali snapped. “You’re hardly a threat.”

Derek raised a hand to highlight all of the people standing around him. “You need to count again. Your numbers are way off. Your only option is to leave town and settle somewhere else. If you refuse, we’ll be forced to show you out ourselves.”

Kali and Ennis both laughed at Derek’s threat. The twins watched and waited. Stiles and the rest of the others on his side did the same thing, but their purpose was clear. They were unified against an enemy that wanted to destroy them.

He could feel the pack’s emotions clearly thanks to the tethers he had to all of them, even Chris, Allison, and Lydia were included although he’d never been able to perceive them before. Some were feeling fear, others were full of anger and trepidation about making an error in judgement. The ball was in the alpha pack’s court and they were about to see how they wanted to play the rest of the game.

“Who are you to speak to us that way? You’ve been an alpha for a few months. We’ve been witnesses to your disruptive leadership. Some of the people behind you don’t even belong in a pack and yet you bring them along as though they’re your equals. Your mother would be ashamed of you.”

Stiles could feel Derek’s rage and agony at the mention of her. He could also smell it. “We’ve stated our terms,” Derek answered.

“And we do not accept them,” Deucalion countered. “Let’s propose a counter offer, shall we?”

Morrell was swift. She moved with so much speed that Stiles would have suspected her of being a werewolf were it not for the ring of mountain ash that she directed around them all. Even Allison and her father were contained within it although it would do nothing to hold them or their weapons. Stiles and the others heard a clicking sound as Chris deactivated the safety of his rifle. He admired his patience to use it at all.

“Dispose of them swiftly. Bring Derek to me so that I can absorb his power. He’s no longer worthy to join our ranks.”

Stiles could feel the mountain ash containing them, but he knew that Ms. Morrell would have to release it long enough for the alpha pack to be able to cross the barrier. Stiles also knew that she was on their side despite the other’s doubts, but there was a little fear that she might be forced to follow Deucalion’s wishes to save her own life. Stiles’ mind began to formulate a new plan as the alphas started to advance.

“You’d be wise to reconsider,” Stiles announced, his voice raised slightly so that both sides could clearly hear him. He shot Derek an apologetic look for speaking out of turn before he approached the barrier. He kept a small distance away from it and remained on his side, but he wanted Deucalion and the other alphas to know that they weren’t going to surrender. There would be losses on both sides if that was how Deucalion wanted to proceed and Stiles intended on taking as many people down with him as he could.

“Why is that, pet?” Deucalion questioned. “What right do you have to speak to me with any authority?”

“My name is Stiles and I’m the zeta of the Hale pack. I speak to anyone I choose and they would be wise to listen and consider what I have to say.” 

The bold confidence that had been on the alpha’s faces had started to waver now that they knew what he was. The look on Deucalion’s face was more enigmatic than Stiles was used to and he didn’t know if it meant that the leader of the alphas already knew what he was or if his reveal had taken him by surprise. The truth was that it didn’t really matter as long as Stiles and his friends got to walk away from this in one piece. 

Kali and Ennis both turned to Deucalion as uncertainty began to creep into their psyches. “You knew what he would become,” Kali accused. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Stay calm,” Deucalion instructed, a little gruffness added in for good measure to remind them that he was their leader and no one else. “I knew that he showed great promise when I first met him that day in the warehouse. I had no way of foreseeing what he would become even though I’m certainly not surprised. You would be wise to pick your allegiances more carefully in the future, Stiles. We could be persuaded to overlook your error in judgement if you were to ask for our forgiveness.”

“Sure,” Stiles said, knowing full well that there would be a lot more involved than a simple apology. “Then you’ll ask me to kill Derek and absorb his alpha status as my own. After that, you’d order me to murder everyone else in the pack to prove my worthiness to join yours.”

Deucalion’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Joining us does require extraordinary sacrifice.”

“I’m not interested,” he said simply. He felt the tethers to the other members of his pack strengthen as they all recognized what they had become. 

“Then our only option is to purge Beacon Hills of the lot of you,” Deucalion warned. “Kill them all,” he added for the benefit of his pack. The alphas prepared to attack.

His mind was already processing what was about to happen and he knew that they needed a new strategy, one capable of winning. Stiles turned to Derek. “Plan B.”

Derek was visibly confused. They hadn’t agreed on a second plan and no one knew what they were supposed to be doing. It wasn’t Derek’s fault that no one had bothered to think up any alternative strategies. It was practically Stiles’ job now and even he had failed to see the need. He knew he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Stiles turned to Scott, Jackson, and Isaac. As players on the lacrosse team, they knew everything he needed them to know. “Red seven,” he yelled out before running next to Derek and pushing him to the left side of the parking lot. The betas rotated positions by moving through the crowd so that they were in a diamond formation. Stiles took his place at the front of the group. “Ms. Morrell is the ball. Allison, you’re up.”

Allison connected the dots and fired an arrow into Ms. Morrell’s shoulder. The shot was intended to be non-lethal and it caused her to fall to the ground, paralyzed from the venom working its way through her bloodstream. The mountain ash was rendered inactive as the alpha pack continued to move closer. Chris Argent was cautious about using his weapon because it would make a lot of noise and draw attention from the public in the surrounding areas, but he readied himself to take a shot if necessary.

Derek let out a growl and the betas followed. Stiles was growling along with them before he even knew that he was doing it. Lydia moved closer to Allison and her father with Boyd only a few feet away. Erica was right there with them as she waited to see how things were going to unfold before she picked a target and attacked. 

Kali was the closest and she had her sights set on Derek. He dodged her first attack and got in a few punches before she turned the tables and knocked him to the ground, a swift kick to the ribs following soon after. He recovered quickly and delivered a jab to her abdomen that sliced deep enough to expose some of her intestines. She wasn’t deterred in the slightest. 

They continued to fight with each of them getting a few shots in before the other gained the upper hand. Stiles was suddenly distracted by Ennis who was moving directly for him. He wasn’t scared. In fact, he felt his anger over being turned against his will rise up and warm his entire body. He crouched down to prepare an assault and leapt with so much force that he knocked Ennis down to the ground as he landed. “This is for Roscoe,” he said, delivering a firm punch to the alpha’s face.

Ennis’ eyes flashed red and he reached out with his own fist in response. It connected with Stiles’ head and sent him flying backwards, but he twisted his body and still managed to land on his feet in a crouched position. Allison fired off another arrow and it hit Deucalion in the chest. He staggered backwards for a few steps and then became paralyzed by the kanima venom. He was no longer a threat. 

Stiles was joined by Scott who helped him redirect Ennis inside the nearest dumpster before the twins got involved. Everyone froze when they joined hands and physically merged into one large version of a single being. “That’s just ridiculous,” Stiles said.

Now that everyone in the front was contained, Isaac, and Jackson had the opening to advance and grab Morrell. They dragged her back to their side. Stiles wasn’t at all surprised that no one tried to stop them since their attention was elsewhere. Derek reached out and his claws dug into Kali’s neck. Her carotid artery was severed so severely that it wouldn’t be able to heal before she bled out. She collapsed on the pavement, a gurgle coming out in place of a fierce scream, before she succeeded at jabbing Derek in the chest with all ten claws on her feet. Blood poured from his wounds and he fell to the pavement a few seconds after she breathed her last breath.

Stiles returned his attention to the twins. They swung hard at Scott and knocked him back a few meters. A groan escaped his lips as he struggled to make it back to his feet. Allison fired a couple of arrows at them and the second connected after they blocked the first. They somehow fought through the kanima venom and still advanced. As the closest person, Stiles moved forward and did what had to be done to distract them away from his best friend. His fangs dug into their neck and tore through sinew and skin. He spit out a mouthful, the contents of which he didn’t want to think about, before he went in for a second and third bite. The super version of the twins dug their claws into his sides and tossed him backwards with enough force to knock him into another dumpster. 

He could have sworn he heard his mother’s voice telling him to get up as he struggled to overcome the daze that temporarily clouded his mind. 

Ms. Morrell was abandoned in safe spot next to Lydia before all of the werewolves converged. With Deucalion down and Kali dead, they split up and went for the twins and Ennis. The werewolf that bit Stiles had recovered and was running straight for him, but Stiles’ agility helped him dodge the assault. He was sore all over but rapidly healing and capable of getting in his fair share of damage. 

He was soon joined by Derek, Erica, and Jackson who took over so that he could take a breather. Derek snapped Ennis’ neck and partially decapitated him in the process. He was already dead by the time his body collided with the ground.

Stiles looked back and saw that Isaac, Scott, and Boyd were easily subduing the twins. They separated and surrendered to avoid being killed once the fact that they had lost was evident. Allison shot them both with another arrow that succeeded in paralyzing them and removing their potential to be a threat.

Stiles looked around. “Did we really just do that?”

“Guys, I hear sirens,” Isaac warned. It wasn’t long before they all did. Stiles regretted not telling his father about the meeting and he reached for the cell phone in his pocket. His father answered after six rings. “I can’t talk now, Stiles. We’ve been called to some kind of gang fight and I have no idea what we’re going to find. Something about dog fights. Love you, son.”

“It’s us. We just fought the alpha pack and you’re about to catch us in the act with a couple of dead werewolves all around us.”

“Shit! I’ll get back to you,” his father said before hanging up. He wasn’t able to hear what his father said over the radio, but they all heard the sirens end abruptly and the vehicles start to turn off away from their location. They were safe for the time being. Chris put the safety back on his gun and then jumped down from his position on a concrete awning over a loading zone. Allison had been on top of a bread delivery truck and she also jumped down.

Stiles’ eyes locked with Jackson’s. They were both okay and the alpha pack wasn’t going to be a threat anymore. Stiles was elated and the rest of the pack was right there with them. More than a few hugs were given and they all got to witness Chris Argent shake Derek’s hand. 

The sheriff’s cruiser pulled into the lot a few minutes later and Stiles was relieved to see that it was just his father and that the other deputies weren’t coming. “You could have given me a heads up,” his father said.

“Yeah, next time,” he lied. There was no way he was going to purposefully put his father in danger. “We should go bury these bodies.”

Isaac pointed his thumb at the delivery truck that Allison had been perched on. “Anyone know how to hot wire that thing?”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” John said. “Does anyone need medical attention?”

The pack was fine. He could feel it inside of his chest as all their emotions pooled together. “We’re good, dad. Allison, would you and your dad mind taking Ms. Morrell to Deaton? He was going to stay at the clinic in case we needed him.”

Chris nodded. “We’d be glad to.” He handed his gun to his daughter and then kneeled down in front of the woman. “You’re going to be okay. It’s just a little kanima venom and it should wear off in about an hour. We’re gong to take you to your brother.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Stiles felt good that she was safe. He figured it was the very least that they owed her for feeding Deaton information at such a risk to herself. Stiles turned to Scott and Derek. “Who knew Coach’s lacrosse plays could be so useful?”

Derek smiled at him. “You’re definitely a zeta. I’ll pull my car around and we can put a couple bodies in the trunk. We’ll bury them on my family’s property so they won’t be discovered.”

Stiles watched as the alpha gave out directives so that they could get out of there as soon as possible. He took a minute to hug Scott before they joined in on the work. When the bodies were loaded, Derek and his betas left to do what needed to be done with them. Scott went along to help out.

“You were pretty awesome,” Jackson said, sliding his hand over Stiles’.

“We all were. It was a team effort. Do I have any skin in my teeth?”

Jackson laughed. “No, I don’t think so. You can use the spare toothbrush in my car if you want.”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“The toothpaste is apple mint, but it does the job. What about them?” Jackson was looking at Deucalion and the twins. They were still paralyzed from the venom and it would wear off if they didn’t make a decision soon. 

“We should have let Derek take them. He could have buried them with the others.”

“I only ask because Danny kind of has a thing for Ethan.”  
“Really?” Stiles asked, surprised. “Well, Derek is the alpha and he should have the final say. We’ll take them to the clinic and wait for him to decide what to do. We don’t even know if we can trust them.”

“We could always ask Ms. Morrell’s opinion,” Jackson suggested.

“That’s a really good idea. You’re a lot smarter than you look.”

Jackson winked in response. “I’m full of surprises.”


	13. We Got Your Back Even Though It's Covered In Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The damage done in a final strike orchestrated by Deucalion leads to an ally of the pack requiring emergency surgery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter to move the story along. Have tissues close by.

Stiles was pacing. His father was watching quietly from the kitchen and growing more concerned the longer it went on. “Is this like when a dog makes a couple of circles before they find a spot to sleep?”

Stiles looked up and shot his father a glare. He wasn’t a fan of the dog jokes now that they could be made about him. “No!”

“What’s going on, son?”

“Something feels wrong. I think I missed something, but I don’t know what it is. It’s important and if this stupid brain of mine would work right then I’d be able to figure it all out.”

“There’s no point in stressing out. Keep talking and maybe we can figure it out together.”

Stiles stopped pacing. He put his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling. “It’s like when you’re trying to remember a word and its on the tip of your tongue only you can’t spit it out. It’s so frustrating! There’s something that I’m missing and I think someone’s in danger if I don’t figure out what it is.”

John left the kitchen and entered the living room. “Okay, that’s a great start. So, is it a person or did you see or remember something?”

Stiles was completely lost. “I don’t know. It was all just too easy. The alphas have decimated packs all over the country and ours managed to take them down that easily? No, there’s more to it. Dad, something’s off.”

“So let’s get Scott and Derek together.”

Stiles began to count his fingers to make sure that there were only ten. He resumed worrying when it was clear that he wasn’t trapped in some kind of nightmare. “And Jackson?”

John nodded. “Yes, your boyfriend can come too.”

Stiles looked at him. “How did you know that Jackson is my boyfriend?”

“I’m trained to see things that people hide, son. It’s pretty obvious.”

Stiles lowered his arms to his side. “I was gonna tell you. I swear I wasn’t hiding it, but I wanted to get through the alpha pack stuff before I told you. Are you mad? Disappointed?”

John thought for a minute and he shook his head. “No, of course I’m not mad or disappointed. He seems to help you stay in control and he must make you happy or you wouldn’t want to be with him.”

“That’s true.”

“Then I’m all for it as long as I get my obligatory sit down over a good meal that you’ll no doubt be cooking. I got some wolfsbane bullets in my revolver and everything all squared away so I can put the fear of God into him.” He winked at his son when it looked like Stiles was going to have a heart attack. 

Stiles walked over and he hugged his dad. He smelled of pork rinds and coffee, but Stiles decided to give the guy a pass on his junk food addiction since he was being so cool. Then it clicked.

“Ennis didn’t smell like me.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No, dad, he was wearing the same clothes he was in when he bit me. But all I could smell was this other familiar scent. I was too busy fighting to pay much attention in the moment, but I remember it now thanks to you. He smelled like Melissa McCall.”  


  


* * *

  


  
Stiles was in the passenger seat trying to call Scott as his father drove them to the house. The sirens were off but the lights were going and they were well over the speed limit to get there as quickly as possible. Stiles ran to the door before his father even had the vehicle in the driveway. The door was already open and he walked through without even thinking to worry that someone else might be inside waiting to ambush whoever arrived. The acrid smell of blood hit him as soon as he entered the home.

He followed the scent and spotted a blood trail on the floor. It flooring made of mountain ash would have protected her unless she was taken by surprise. Stiles saw her body and he ran to it as tears started falling from his eyes. “Melissa? You’ve got to hang on!”

He put his hand to her arm and used his other hand to apply pressure to the wounds in her chest. Her heartbeat was faint but still present. Her breathing was ragged and she looked up at Stiles with confusion in her eyes as if she didn’t recognize him for a minute. He’d seen the same look on his own mother’s face before she died.

John came running into the house and he cursed at the scene. He immediately started to call for an ambulance and then decided that they didn’t have time to wait. “Put her in the cruiser. We’ve got to drive her there ourselves.”

Stiles lifted her up effortlessly and carried her into the vehicle. Stiles stayed in the back seat and held her as he absorbed her pain. “It’s okay. I’m just taking some of the pain so it doesn’t hurt so much. You’re not leaving us.”

She nodded as tears welled in her eyes. “Dad, you have to hurry.”

He turned on the sirens as they sped to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I hope she's going to be okay. Do you think she's gonna be okay?


	14. Even The Strongest Victors Get Knocked Down From Time To Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news of the extent of Melissa's injuries cause the pack to realize that nothing will ever be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a rough one, but it shows Deucalion's deviousness. We're getting close to the end.

Stiles understood why all the werewolves in his life hated the hospital. The smell was too sterile and off-putting for a species that liked for familiar scents to surround them. He was sitting in the waiting room with his dad when Scott and Allison showed up together, her hand in his. Scott looked terrified and Allison was equally so.

“Ennis got to her before the meeting. They were probably there looking for you. His claws severed a major artery and she’s in surgery to repair it, but the doctors are having trouble getting her blood to clot and they had to give her a transfusion. They’re doing everything they can, Scott.”

His best friend looked at him and hugged him. “How did you know?”

“Something was bugging me and my dad helped talk me through it. I remembered that I smelled your mom’s scent on Ennis and that was weird to me because he was wearing the same clothes that he was in when he gave me the bite. I was too busy fighting him to notice it, but my subconscious must have caught on and filed it away.”

“I’m glad it did. I called Isaac and he’s bringing Derek, Boyd, and Erica.”

“I called Jackson. I hope that’s okay,” Stiles revealed. 

“Yeah, of course.”

Allison excused herself to call her dad and Lydia and fill them in on what happened. 

Scott looked around to make sure that no one could hear them before he gave Stiles an update on Deucalion and the twins. “Deaton has the alphas sedated with a special kind of wolfsbane. It should give us twenty-four hours before they’ll start to become tolerant and we’ll need to figure something out.”

Stiles put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s not important right now. Do you want to call your dad? I can do it if you don’t want to talk to him.”

The beta shook his head after mulling it over. “There’s no point. She’s gonna make it.”

Stiles knew it was a touchy subject and that it was best to let it go. He cared a lot about Melissa and the important thing was that they were all there for her. “Yeah, she’s strong. She has to be to put up with the two of us.”

“Absolutely,” Scott agreed. He walked over to John and hugged him.

Allison returned after five minutes and found them all sitting in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room. She sat next to Scott and took his hand. “I talked to my dad. He’s going to stay at the clinic and give Deaton some backup in case the wolfsbane doesn’t work. Jackson was at Lydia’s when I called and they’re going to come sit with us.”

Stiles ignored the pangs of jealousy he felt at the mention of Jackson and Lydia’s names being used together. He knew it wasn’t the time or place and it was stupid to even let his mind go there when he was Jackson’s potential mate and current boyfriend. Allison looked around at all of them in a way that suggested to Stiles that there was a question she wanted to ask.

It took Stiles twenty-two seconds to figure out what it was. He looked at her and then at Scott. “Hey, we should probably talk about what happens next.”

“She’s gonna pull through,” Scott said. His mind wasn’t entertaining any other options.

“I know she will, man. I just meant that she was scratched and maybe even bit by an alpha. There’s a chance that she could turn.”

Allison flashed him a weak smile and she wrapped her arm around Scott. “Yeah,” Scott admitted. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“It’s fine,” John interjected. “We’ll deal with that if it happens. She just needs us to be strong for her and to keep her in our thoughts.”

It was an hour and a half before the surgeon came out to the waiting room. The rest of the pack had arrived, the only one missing being Chris Argent. Allison hadn’t left Scott’s side and Jackson was practically glued to Stiles’ side as they provided them with as much comfort as they could. The surgeon looked grim as he removed his surgery cap.

“We managed to stop the bleeding and repair the artery. We still aren’t quite sure how it happened. It was almost like it gave up waiting for us to fix it and then healed itself on its own. None of us have ever seen anything like it and it has to be some kind of miracle. Anyway, we’re gonna keep her here for a few days of observation. She’s out of the anesthesia and we have her on pain medication. “

“Thank you, doctor,” John said before standing up and shaking his hand.

“I hope you catch the bastard that did this to her. We all love Melissa around here. Scott, she’s asking to see you.”

Scott stood up and he followed the surgeon. They all shared a look as the realization set in. Stiles wasn’t the only human member of the pack that Ennis had turned into a werewolf. Melissa was his final victim before Derek killed the bastard, and it had likely happened at Deucalion’s urging. He was so thankful that he remembered that something was off when he did or else Scott would have come home to find his mother’s body on the floor of the living room. His eyes snapped closed at the thought of how horrendous that would be. 

“She’s okay,” John reiterated as if he was sensing everyone’s unease. “She’s going to need our support to get through this.”

“She’ll have it,” Derek promised. Isaac nodded from his position next to his alpha. 

Scott came back out half an hour later. “She’s doing okay. I told her what’s happening and she cried for a bit before she accepted it. I think she’s gonna be okay thanks to Stiles and the sheriff.”

“And the doctors and nurses that refused to give up,” John added. “I need to go to the station and file a report. Scott, I’m going to have to send technicians to your house to collect evidence.”

Scott understood that he had to look like he was doing his job. “Okay. I’ll stay away until they’re done.”

Stiles looked over at his father. “What are you gonna tell your deputies?”

John shrugged. “It looks like a home invasion. She stumbled upon a thief and he attacked her before she could call for help.” He hugged Stiles and Scott again before he headed out. “I’ll come back over once that’s done,” he added before he left. 

“You and Isaac can stay with my dad and I until you’re allowed back in the house,” Stiles offered. 

Scott looked at Isaac. “Yeah, maybe. Thanks.” Stiles knew that probably meant they would find somewhere else to stay and he was fine with that as long as they were going to be staying somewhere safe. The fact that Allison hadn’t left his side except for that five minute phone call meant that they were probably on the verge of getting back together if they weren’t already. If Stiles’ father had been hurt, he’d want to be with Jackson if he couldn’t stay with his dad. 

Derek stood up. “We should think about moving her within the next twenty-four hours. She’ll be healing a lot quicker than the doctors will expect and we don’t need them getting any more suspicious than they already are.”

“What about her blood work?” Stiles wondered. “Will it show anything abnormal?”

Derek shook his head. “They wouldn’t know what to look for with the tests they’re giving her.”

“Good. I don’t want her coworkers getting suspicious and asking questions when she comes back to work,” Scott said. “I appreciate that you all came, but you don’t have to stay. Visiting hours are already over and she’s going to be placed in the ICU instead of a private room.”

“We’ll stay for a while,” Lydia stated. Everyone else completely agreed.

Stiles felt the bonds of their pack continue to strengthen. As hard as it was to believe, that’s what they had become. His hand reached for Jackson’s and their fingers interlocked. He put his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder and listened to the steady thrum of his heart and the sounds of his breathing. Their lives had changed so drastically in just a few month’s time. It made Stiles a little worried for what the future would bring, but he knew they would all watch out for each other. That was what being part of a pack was all about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thought process for Melissa being hurt was that Scott was supposed to find her prior to the meeting of the packs and his absence would have been a disruption that Deucalion had planned to take advantage of. It just so happens that Scott and the others didn't know that Melissa was bleeding all over her new floor when they went to challenge the alphas and Deucalion was hit with the kanima venom before he could hold it over their heads or use it to his advantage. 
> 
> I also make the decision to make Melissa a werewolf. I'm kind of excited to explore her dynamic with the rest of the pack now that she's no longer human.


	15. Girl, They Don't Even Have A Word For Your Kind Of Ugly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected attack leaves Chris and Deaton unconscious on the floor of the animal clinic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you probably anticipated the arrival of the next villain in this series. Read the chapter to figure out who it is.

Alan handed Chris Argent a mug of coffee before he took a look at the three people on medal exam tables. Deucalion and the twins were sedated with a variant of wolfsbane mixed with some high powered surgical sedatives. They were all breathing fine on their own and were probably still conscious, but their bodies wouldn’t be able to respond to the signals from their brain for the next few hours. 

He’d sent his sister home to his condo after she recovered from the kanima venom. Argent had just gotten off of a phone call with Allison. He pretended not to know that she was going to take Scott back to their house only because he knew that he could trust them to behave given the current situation with Scott’s mother. He was going there to be comforted by someone he loved and he couldn’t stand in the way of that.

“How are their vitals?”

Deaton reached down to take Deucalion’s pulse. “They’re all perfectly normal under these conditions. What would you do with them if the decision were in your hands?”

Chris thought about it for a moment. “They murdered their packs and they abducted Jackson and Stiles. I doubt Scott’s mom would have been made into a target if it weren’t for that guy giving the shots and the other two have likely been following along willingly for a while now. They deserve to be locked up in that special floor of Eichen House.”

Alan turned to face him. “I wasn’t aware that that floor was common knowledge.”

“My father helped set it up. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to find him and toss him in there too.”

“You won’t get any argument from me,” Alan said. They were both distracted by the front door being blown off of its hinges as a wave of energy moved throughout the building and knocked them both to the floor. Chris hit his head on a cabinet on the way down and was knocked out cold as a figure moved closer.

Deaton tried to focus on the mountain ash but it was no use. The figure entered the room and he saw her mangled face covered in healed cuts that left pits and valleys of discolored skin. She looked at the three unconscious bodies on the tables and then glared down at Deaton. “Where is Kali?”

Deaton stayed silent but her hand grabbed him by the throat and she began to squeeze. “Tell me!”

“She’s dead,” he spit out. “She attacked an alpha and he killed her in defense of himself and his pack.”

She released him and tossed him back down to the floor. Her eyes settled on Deucalion and she reached up and pulled the IV out of his arm. “He’ll take her place.”

“You don’t have to do this. I can help you find balance again.”

“I’m beyond help…and so is he,” she seethed before she grabbed Deucalion’s ankles. The energy in the room doubled and then tripled as the woman manifested enough strength to drag the unconscious alpha out of the animal clinic. Deaton knew it would be futile to try and stop her.

She paused before exiting the clinic and sent another wave throughout the building in order to give her adequate time for escape. It pushed Deaton’s head back against the counter he was leaning on and held it there before the pain of the force caused him to weaken as everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The darach is back, ladies and gents, and she's as mean as ever. Right now her sights are set on punishing Deucalion since Kali is already out of the picture, but it won't be long before she gets some new targets in her sights.


	16. I Don't Know What You're Doing To Me, But I Want You To Keep Doing It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson fit in a late night cuddling session, obvious to the fact that there is a new threat already on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for the first story in the series.

It was midnight when Stiles heard the sound of his bedroom window sliding open. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Jackson climbed through. He closed the window behind him and paused long enough to remove his jacket. He was dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and an old Darkwing Duck t-shirt. Stiles didn’t think he’d ever seen Jackson wear something so normal.

“It’s about time you got here.”

“I had to wait for my parents to fall asleep before I could risk sneaking out.” He walked to the bed and climbed in next to Stiles. The beta wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and began to spoon him. His mouth kissed a spot on Stiles’ neck before he inhaled his scent.

“That tickles,” Stiles whispered.

“Good. Now get some sleep.”

Stiles rolled over so that they were facing each other. He leaned in and kissed Jackson. It was their first kiss and it was everything they needed it to be in that moment. Jackson nudged him. “We’re supposed to be sleeping. It’s way too late for a makeout session. We have school in a few hours,” he reminded him.

Stiles leaned in and stole another kiss, this one longer. “Fine. But I’m gonna tell Lydia you wouldn’t kiss me and you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.”

“That’s low. You’d actually rat me out to my ex-girlfriend?”

“I totally would. And what’s with the clothes you’re wearing? Don’t you have designer pajamas tailored to perfectly fit every curve of your body?”

Jackson smirked. “I do, but I thought these would keep you from eye-fucking me all night so that we could actually get some sleep.”

“The joke’s on you. Those mesh shorts are totally getting me aroused.”

“Should I leave them and go or…?”

Stiles reached out and wrapped his arms around Jackson’s waist. “Stay here with me. I won’t try to seduce you if you don’t want me to.”

“Believe me, I want you to. But we have that calculus test tomorrow and Lydia will stop speaking to me if I get anything lower than a C. She’s been tutoring me for a week or so to catch me up and she’ll take it personally if I don’t do well.”

Stiles leaned in and planted a kiss to Jackson’s earlobe. “Fine. But you’re taking me out on a real date one of these days and it’s ending with us going at it in my jeep.”

Jackson frowned. “Do we have to? The Porsche has leather seats.”

“The Porsche barely has enough room for the both of us and I intend to spend a lot of time touching you. We might need the extra leg room.”

Jackson laughed. “Yeah? I like the sound of that. Wanna give me a preview?”

Stiles turned over so that his back was once again facing Jackson. “I can’t. My boyfriend won’t let me.”

“What a jerk.”

“You got that right.”

Jackskon resumed cuddling his boyfriend as they listened to each other’s breathing. Sleep soon called to them and they were together doing things in their dreams that they would never be able to tell any of their friends about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know it's kind of an abrupt end of sorts, but this story had to end with some cuddling between Stiles and Jackson. The next story in the series is going to explore their relationship in further detail. Thanks for sticking with the story and leaving kind comments and kudos.


End file.
